The Cherry Blossom and the Immortal
by Kaya Kazaki
Summary: 6 years after the Third Shinobi World War, Tsunade decides to dig up Hidan, to give him a second chance, but all traces of his shinobi pride have been lost to the earth. Can a certain pink-haired kunoichi help him get it back, or will she surrender to the darkness in her own soul? Rated T for later chaps.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Corner: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! See, I told you I would have it up :). You're welcome. Gah, I guess a few months or so without using MY laptop can really put me out of practice -_-". (- Hey look, it's Maria Ross!) It's missing the s, h, x, b, n and space bar. Yeaaah, I need one on those wireless keyboards.**

**Anyways, enough with my blabbering, how are all my wonderful readers? I missed y'all! For those who had been reading this before I took it down, you will notice some changes. I don't think it's anything major, but keep a sharp eye out. ;)**

**ZOMG I GOT COPIC MARKERS FOR X-MAS! And some really good books, AND a stuffed owl...I love owls :3. Moving on, I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year, and that bastard who shot all those kids at Sandy Hook is having a fun time burning in hell ^-^  
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**...  
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**I am such a sadist.  
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**Now, wait no more, my fellow Narutard (why else would you be looking up these crazy pairings?!) READ ON! The long awaited first chapter is up! Ahh, my lovely laptop, we are together again! Now I can catch up on my Naruto Shippuden episodes and finish watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood...for the third time...DAMN IT HUGHES, WHY YOU HAVE TO DIE?!  
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**-cough cough- Yeah, I'm gonna go before my FMA:B feels take over my conscience...bye...  
**

"You want to _what?!_" yelled Shikamaru, dropping the scroll he was holding, most uncharacteristically. The Hokage sighed.

"Must I repeat myself Shikamaru? I wish to uncover the missing-nin, Hidan" she folded her hands and rested her chin on them.

"Are you crazy?!" he said, overcoming his shock. "He's an S-rank criminal! I blew him up and buried him for a reason!" Tsunade closed her eyes trying to keep her temper under control.

"It has been six years Shikamaru, if he is indeed still alive then he could be a valuable asset to the Leaf if he is willing to cooperate. The war is over, and if he proves untrustworthy, he will be torn apart and buried again. I have already sent a team of ANBU to the dig site and I don't want any_ funny_ business" she glared at him and Shikamaru knew this discussion was over.

"Troublesome" he said, despite the fact he was seething on the inside. He turned around and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. _'Sometimes that boy can be so stubborn. Huh, a Nara...stubborn...is the world ending or am I going crazy?'_ she thought wryly.

"Raina, I'm going to oversee the digging-up, I don't trust Shikamaru" she stood and walked out of her office.

_'I wonder if we'll be able to piece him together again. Immortality or not, having your body blown apart will take a long time to recuperate from' _she thought.

"Yes, Hokage-sama" she bowed and left along with her master, albeit to a different destination.

Tsunade was heading out of the village gates when she was joined by her favorite 23-year-old pupil.

She was wearing a short red battle kimono with a golden flame pattern with a black obi to tie it shut, black shorts and tall black ninja boots. One hand had a fingerless fishnet glove on it and bubblegum pink hair fell to the middle of her back, streaked with black and in one thick braid. Her emerald eyes were burning with the Will of Fire and had glittery red eye shadow on them.

Her name was Sakura.

"Tsunade-shishou, is it true? Are you really going to dig up that old Akatsuki member?" Sakura asked, Tsunade nodded. "May I come with you?" another nod. Sakura quickened her pace to match her sensei's.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he pieced himself together in the hole...or maybe he-" Tsunade held up her hand as they reached the gates. Sakura was silent immediately.

"I have two ANBU there, he won't get far, if at all" she said.

They took to the trees and traveled for several minutes in silence. Tsunade snuck a glance at her from the corner of her eye. Her face didn't show any kind of sadness but if you knew her as long as Tsunade had, you would have noticed there was something missing.

The twinkle of happiness in her eyes was gone. Oh, that spark of determination would never go, but that soft twinkle of kindness that Tsunade had seen since the day she had met her in her eyes were gone. When Sasuke broke her heart a year ago, and blew her off for another girl, it was just...gone.

Naruto had managed to pull her out of depression but she just didn't smile as much. She was almost as confused with love as Sai. She wasn't…Sakura. She had so much anger in her now, and her temper was easily lit, like her fuse was only half and inch long. Not to mention her...other personality was making itself known more often than it used to.

She turned her attention back in front of her just as the dig site was looming in front of them.

An ANBU was there and had cleared much debris away but had only found a few parts. Tsunade grimaced. She supposed most of them would be at the bottom.

"Tsunade-sama!" called someone from the bottom of the hole. Tsunade walked up to the edge and peered down. Tatsuki, the captain was staring up at her scratching his head. (A/N NO, it's not the Tatsuki from Bleach) He had shoulder-length black hair that stuck out oddly at one angle, teal eyes and a burn scar covering the entire upper-right portion of his face. An incident with his parents when he was 13.

"Uh, we seem to be having a problem" he said, stating the obvious. An enormous boulder was taking up most of the space in the hole. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Sakura, would you..." She drifted off. Sakura's lips curled up in a half-smile.

"No problemo!" She said, already climbing down in the hole. Tatsuki madly scrambled out, for he knew what was coming. He had seen her enough in battles, and when she lost her temper with Naruto.

"CHAA!" Sakura shouted as she hit the ground with super-human strength. The rock smashed into rubble. The 2 ANBU stood behind her, trying to keep their shock to a minimum. No matter how many times they'd seen her do it, it still amazed them. And scared them, but just a little.

She brushed off her hands and grinned deviously. "Easy-peasy" she said and went over to small pile of body parts they had already gathered, as if it were something she did everyday.

Progress after that was much faster as piece after piece was handed up. Sakura looked at the bloody pile of parts that were spread out on a tarp. She frowned in concentration, as she took count of what was there.

'_Hmm, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 fingers, both arms, most of the digestive system, a leg, two feet, some miscellaneous parts, but still no head...'_ she thought.

**_'That's gross, Pinkhead. How many other people do you know that take stock of blown up body parts? Not many. Maybe that Tatsuki guy, but not really anyone else'_ **her Inner's voice rang in her head. Sakura's soul was...split, so to speak. In a fit of rage when she was younger, the Yin and Yang parts had separated and created her Inner, the Yang part which housed all the negative thoughts and feelings.

_'Yeah, yeah, now shut up so I can think' _

_**'You are thinking'**_

_'Smartass' _

Sakura often had arguments like this with her Inner, but when she made the facial expressions to go alone with it, that's when people began to look at her in funny ways.

She shook her head and prodded one of the arms, only to jerk back when she realized it was _warm. _It was detached from it's body, yet blood still pulsed through it. Sakura picked it up and gently moved the joints. The arm bent smoothly, no stiffness.

Sakura couln't believe it. She had to fight down the urge to gag. What would you need to do to gain this kind of ability? Sakura didn't even want to know, despite the medic part in her yearning to learn everything she could about him. Did poisons effect him? How can the blood still flow if there was no pulse to keep it going? Could Hidan ever actually die?

Sakura puzzled on this silently, with some "helpful" input from her Inner.

Tsunade was talking to the medic when a whoop of joy came from the pit (now several feet deeper).

"Tsunade-sama! I found the- er, his head!" Tatsuki scrambled out of the hole, a head in one arm. Sakura's stomach twisted into a tight knot. She had seen the most gruesome injuries, someone dieing as she tried healing them, mutated bodies, battlefields covered in bodies, but a head that could still breath and speak and function perfectly made her cringe.

"Well done Tatsuki! Sakura, do you mind taking care of it—, him until business here is done? Try to coax his into consciousness, maybe we can learn if 6 years in a hole changed his views a little" Sakura fidgeted but mumbled, "H-hai Tsunade-shishou." Tsunade passed her the head and gingerly she walked and sat under the shade of an enormous oak, resting Hidan's head against her bent knees.

She looked at his face and inspected it. Dried blood caked his lower jaw and there were dozens of small bruises and cuts on it...him. Gah! This was going to get confusing. He was just a head, so she couldn't really call it a him, but when he was put together, he wouldn't be an it anymore. Like I said, confusing.

She noticed a nasty purple bruise on his temple that reached his ear.

_'Probably got bashed with a rock...along with every other part of his body' _she thought. She focused her chakra into her hands and traced her fingers across his face, returning it to its -his- normal visage. Inner was seething.

**_'Why on god's green earth would you ever want to HELP a thing like that! I mean, come on! He killed Asuma, almost killed Shikamaru, AND he was part of an evil organization that was out to kill Naruto! PLEASE tell me you aren't actually going to forgive him if he starts being nice!' _**

_'Now why shouldn't I be nice, hmm? If he has changed sides, he deserves a second chance. Believe me, I hate him more than rats right now (and you know I have a phobia of rats), but if he proves that he can be trusted, then I'm willing to forgive him...mostly. But not all the way. And you _did_ just say that he WAS a part of an evil organization, not IS' _Sakura smirked mentally as she saw her Inner sputter indignantly.

**_'Hey, that doesn't count. It's just stupid grammar, who needs them anyway?'_**

_'Apparently, you do. It's 'it' not 'them'. The word grammar does not have a plural'_

**_'Whatever!'_**

Sakura tuned out her Inner's continuous whining, and focused back on Hidan's head. Okay, that was something she never really thought she would say in her lifetime. Or think. Whatever (deja vu anyone?). She used her fingers to pick her way through his hair, which was obscuring most of his face. It was really disturbing to think that an S-rank criminal was at her mercy. It gave her some very evil thoughts, but she shook them off. She hated this man, but not enough that she would...never mind.

_'Ugh, his hair__! Who knew it would turn into a rat's nest in that hole...who knew his hair actually was actually silver...weird'_ She thought. It was tangled with dirt, blood, and what looked like some kind of fungus. Ew.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open and stared at Sakura. Her eyes jerked open from their bored gaze, to wide and surprised. His gaze hardened into a glare, his eyes cold and bitter. His eyes flicked over to the Tsunade and the two ANBU who were oblivious to him being awake, and frowned.

Sakura waited for Hidan to shout out "what the fuck am I doing here?! Who the fuck are those fucktards, and the blonde haired chick. Get the fuck away from my body!" or something of the sort. Sakura had heard from Shikamaru the Hidan had a terrible swearing habit. His violet colored eyes turned back to her before he closed them, keeping his lips locked tight.

Not a single word escaped his mouth.

_'This is really not good. Didn't Shikamaru say he was loudmouth with a swearing habit? Maybe it's because he's just a head, and his vocal cords are damaged...or maybe he's just being stubborn...' _Sakura thought. Hidan's eyes didn't open again.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice startled the said woman out of her thoughts. Sakura's head snapped to look at the Godaime Hokage. Tatsuki was pointing at each body part and counting under his breath. He sighed and turned to Tsunade.

"A missing finger, only 1 kidney, a missing rib and several bone ligaments are gone. We are going to have to regenerate them" he said. Tsunade nodded. Sakura stood up tucked Hidan's head under her arm.

"Let's go, this guy isn't getting any less chopped up while we stand here" Tatsuki said, smiling and putting a hand in his pocket while he effortlessly hefted the large bag of body parts and jogged to catch up with Sakura. She was the only one who knew the reason behind his above-average strength besides Tsunade. Tatsuki had been found in some village ruins, starving and half-dead. He was brought back to the Leaf and was quick friends with Sakura who had been the one to take care of him. Sakura had been around 18, the same time when Naruto dragged a pouting (yes, pouting!) Sasuke back to the Leaf.

They walked slowly through the forest, not bothering to hurry, as the other Anbu and Tsunade had already went ahead. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, in fact, it was kind of nice. But of course, Tatsuki, being the bone-head he was, had to bring up a conversation.

"How's Naruto?" he asked. Sakura huffed lightly in laughter.

"He still can't sit down. He sneaked into my house two days ago in the middle of the night to ask if he could borrow soap. Soap! In the middle on the night! I kicked his ass all the way to the Hokage monument!" she said. Tatsuki burst out in laughter.

"I know never to mess with you when you're cranky" he chuckled when she rolled her eyes. Sakura knew that Tatsuki was just making mindless conversation to keep her mind off...Sasuke...but it helped anyways. Sakura snickered as a branch the she pushed aside, whipped back and slapped him in the face.

"OW! Oh, thanks a lot, Sakura-chan!" he whined. He sounded a lot like Naruto. Sakura sighed. letting her giggles out with that breath. Tatasuki shook his head and gave her a wide grin.

"I heard that Gaara-sama's dating...oh, what's-her-face...Matsuri wasn't it?" he said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Really? Wasn't she Gaara's student? The one that got kidnapped before Naruto left to go training with Jiraiya?" she asked. Tatsuki nodded and grinned.

"Naruto said he caught them kissing when he visited there two weeks ago. He said that he could of swore that Gaara was blushing. Do you think he was telling the truth? Because Gaara doesn't blush. Ever. Nor does he cry, burp, fart, laugh, sneeze, or do anything that involves emotion" Sakura burst out laughing. Sorry, but using the words 'Gaara', 'burp', and 'fart' all in the same sentence, was just too much.

Hundreds of miles away, in Suna, Gaara sneezed. He shook his head lightly and went back to his paperwork thinking,_ 'what the hell was that?!'_

Sakura sighed as thinking of Naruto catching a couple kissing led her down a similar (although more depressing) train of thoughts.

Tatsuki kept talking, but Sakura wasn't really in it anymore.

* * *

**Omake: Now That's Just Gross**

Nanani Sachiko was 29 years old. She graduated the Academy at age 9, and became chunin at age 10. She was a ruthless killer with a soft spot for kittens and enjoyed grossing people out by dislocating her shoulders and popping them back in place again. She wasn't scared of practically anything, and it took a lot to gross her out.

But...

The pulsing heart of Hidan in front of her was doing a pretty good job of making her stomach churn. _Thump, thump, thump. _She was pretty sure her face was green.

"Oi, Nanani, found anything yet?" Tatsuki yelled from above. Nanani squealed lightly.

"Er...uh, catch!" she squeaked, grabbing the heart and chunking it straight up.

"What the-?! Oh, Nanani, you could have warned me! That's just plain gross!" he said, disgust obvious in his voice. He tossed it with the other body they had found...he would find some way to get her back.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Alright, that's it! I know, I know, you can't get enough of my brilliant writing, but you will have to wait for the next- GAH, THE POWER SURGES ARE SCARING ME! Its storming outside, and I might lose internet soon... TT^TT Help me, there couldn't be anything worse...KILL ME NOW!**

**Nah, but it's annoying to have to reset my clock every time the power flickers. -_-" Anyways, I'm going to go indulge in my X-mas presents, ja ne!  
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	2. Chapter 2

"Haku, make sure you focus on that seal. We don't want him waking up yet" Sakura said as she sewed on his pieced-together right leg and sealing it with chakra.

"Hai, Sakura-sama" replied Haku, closing his eyes and focusing once more on the seal on Hidan's forehead that was keeping him asleep. Turns out, Kakashi had just barely missed Haku's heart, and while he still did cause massive damage, didn't kill him. Sakura had found him while getting water for the team when they were heading back to the Leaf, more dead than alive. Kakashi patched him up to the best of his abilities and they hurried back and gave him emergency medical help. Despite what all the doctors had said, Haku pulled through, albeit, he would never have the stamina he used to have. Too much pressure on his heart would cause it to pop, literally.

It took about an hour, but Sakura, with the help of two of her most trusted medics, managed to attach everything. Sakura sighed and wiped her brow.

"Wow, that took a _lot_ of chakra." she slipped off her gloves and rested her hands on the edge of the table where Hidan was lying, now all in one piece, albeit still bruised and battered. One of the medics, Hana, snickered.

"No thanks to those god awful medicine balls of yours, Haruno-san" she said. Sakura rolled her eyes, but secretly had to agree with her that one. Despite their beneficial properties, they tasted like dirt smeared with that nasty, bitter, medicine your parents gave you when you were little and had a sore throat. You know, the kind that your parents said, "if you don't drink this, the big bad monster is going to come and get you!"? Yeah, that.

"You can release the seal now Haku" the bubble of chakra vanished from his hand and stepped back, making a few hands signs. The mark on Hidan's forehead vanished. Haku smiled gently as he wiped his brow.

"Well done, Sakura-sama." he said kindly. Sakura let a rare, real, smile spread across her face. Nothing but nice things had come out of his mouth since the day she had met him, it was really a high spot of her day.

"He should wake up any second now; let's clear out before he does...to give him some alone time" She set a pair on of black pants and a t-shirt on the table next to him, along with a piece of paper that had his name on it.

They were barely out the door when Hidan woke once more. Slowly he lifted himself off the table, the surgical blanket falling down his scarred, stitched-up chest as he did. He jerked halfway up as his back popped loudly, and then let out a sigh as he succeeded in forcing himself into a sitting position. He looked around, spotting the clothes immediately. He winced as his body stretched against the stitches. Carefully, he managed to sit up and get the pants on. He didn't bother with the shirt; he didn't like wearing them anyway.

Slowly he moved his hands, his feet, relishing in the almost-forgotten sensation. How long had he been in that hole? He inhaled deeply, and then flexed his chakra, or what little of it he had. It looked like everything was working properly. He had to hand it to those Leaf medics, they knew what they were doing. And that pink haired one...she was definitely different. Not different-bad, different-weird. If that made any sense. Probably not. Hidan shook his head and looked around. He was in some kind of operation room.

_'Since when do Hidden Villages offer help to an S-rank criminal? Information? Power? I wonder what happened to the rest of the Akatsuki...I hope that fucking retard Tobi got his ass whooped' _Hidan thought bitterly. He was still thinking when the pink-haired kunoichi stepped through the iron door into the plain blue-walled room.

"Feels a little weird after six years, huh?" she said wryly. Slowly she walked towards him, hugging a clipboard to her chest. He was immediately suspicious. They were treating him like a regular patient, not a former blood-thirsty, out-to-destroy-the-world, Akatsuki member. That, or they were crazy, and for the sake of his sanity, Hidan decided to lean towards the latter.

She walked around him slowly, inspecting him. Hidan immediately didn't like it. He felt like a bug under a microscope. He jerked away slightly when she reached out for him.

"I just need to do a couple of tests, I'm not going to do anything" she pulled a stethoscope out of the pocket of her nurse uniform to prove her point. She put the buds in her ears and reached out to him. She put her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, her mouth forming silent numbers and she counted the beats.

After a few seconds she finally spoke. "You seem to be in pretty good shape. Do you have any internal pain, or abnormal sensations?" she asked. Hidan continued to stare at her. A small tick formed on her forehead.

"Just nod or shake your head" she said. Hidan shook his head. She scribbled on her clipboard. She tapped her lips with her pen, seeming lost in thought. Then she looked him straight in the eye.

"You better know that the only reason your in one piece is because Tsunade-shishou thought that spending eternity in a hole is worse than hell. If you so much as harm a fly in this village, you'll be blown up and buried again, got that?" she said, pointing her pen at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Got that?!" she said again, more severely this time. Hidan nodded, slightly fearful of the killer intent leaking out of her.

"Do you think you can walk?" she asked, calming down slightly. He didn't say anything, he just nodded. He braced his hands against the table and slid off it, trying to ignore the insane pain all over his body. Come on, he could take a little pain, he fought like that for crying out loud! He took about 3 steps before his knees buckled and he fell towards the ground. Before he knew, Pinky (for that was what he decided to call her) had one hand on his chest and the other supporting his shoulder.

"Don't push yourself, I really don't want to stitch you up again" Sakura led him back to the table and made him sit down. Hidan gritted his teeth, feeling very annoyed. He couldn't walk 5 steps without collapsing. Not to mention the fact a _girl_ helped him. It was absolutely shameful.

"I'm impressed that you can even stand after you've just been sewn back together like Frankenstein" she smirked and scribbled something on her clipboard.

She moved behind him and Hidan tensed; his ninja instincts still intact (and the _last _thing he needed was to be trapped in a village full of potential enemies without his reflexes). Then suddenly the burning pain in his back from the stitches began to subside, like someone had dumped a bucket of cool water on him. He felt warm hands trailing over his back and he knew that she was doing that healing-with-chakra thing that all medic-nin knew (or should know) how to do. Sakura frowned as she kneaded into his muscles with her chakra. Why, in the name of anything that was holy, was she doing this. She should hate the man, everything about him.

But...

He looked so god damn _vulnerable! _They way his muscles trembled with effort, and his silence. It almost made him look innocent. Besides, holding onto a grudge wasn't really in her nature. Well, her Yin nature.

He scowled and waited for her to finish, though he had to say it felt good. Soon he found himself relaxing slightly (ONLY SLIGHTLY!). He jolted back to reality when she pulled away.

She moved back to the front and smirked dryly, but it was more like a smirk someone gave you before they stabbed a kunai through your chest. Hidan felt his skin crawl. Damn, what the hell was it with this chick?! It's like she was born to intimidate people. She scribbled something on her clipboard again and turned to leave.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, just keep moving around a little, but don't overdo it alright?" she walked out and Hidan was alone once more with his thoughts.

Sakura walked down the hall, up a flight of stairs and entered a room to the right, into her office. She set the papers from her clipboard in a basket on her desk. She sighed and plopped down into the chair. She had been there for about 2 seconds when the phone on her desk rang. She picked it up and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said.

"Sakura, I need you in my office now, no questions" Tsunade said briskly and hung up. "Yes, I'm doing good too" she mumbled to herself as stood up, stretched, yawned and went for the door. Suddenly, from the intercom on her phone, her sensei's amused, (but slightly annoyed) voice said, "I heard that!"

Sakura smiled and opened the door. She went up 6 floors to the Hokage's office and knocked.

"Enter"

Tsunade had been going through a huge file when stepped though the door.

"Ah, good Sakura. So how did your meeting with…what's his name—?" she shifted through the pile for several seconds before Sakura offered and answer.

"Hidan, his name's Hidan" she said, fighting a smile as she looked at the hopeless mess of papers that was the file she had been studying.

"Hmm, where'd you learn that Sakura?" she mumbled, not really paying attention, as she was attempting to restore some kind of relative order on her desk and failing miserably.

She blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Um, I go with Shikamaru when he visits Asuma's grave every year. He…he mentions him a lot" the room temperature seemed to drop a couple degrees at the mention of Asuma. Tsunade shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Anyway, Sakura how did your meeting with him go?" she put the tips of her fingers together and focused on Sakura.

"His vital signs were fine, but…he didn't talk. Not a single word. He was able to walk a few steps but it must have been excruciating. He made it three steps before his legs gave out but it still impressed me" Sakura finished and stood silently waiting for an answer. Tsunade sighed and turned to look out the window.

"Hmm, not a single word, eh? That can't be good" she swung back around and looked at Sakura.

"All body parts together and regenerated?"

"Yes"

"No abnormal substances in his system?"

"Nope"

"Mental health in good condition?"

"As far as I could tell, yes"

"Good. What about physical strength and reflexes?"

"He has some moderate muscular atrophy, and his reflexes are dulled. I'd say it would take anywhere from three to six months to get them back to what he used to have, minus the time in would take for his joints and limbs to re-fuse"

Tsunade tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"He would need some rehabilitation, right?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Sakura nodded, but she had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.

"I'm assigning _you_ as his personal nurse. Rehab, and training included" she said.

* * *

**Omake: Life in the Dark**

Shikamaru knocked on the apartment door in front of him. He sighed, but withheld saying "mendokuse", a rarity in itself. After several seconds, the door opened, revealing Sakura. Upon seeing him, she smiled brightly.

"Ready?" he mumbled. Sakura held up one finger.

"Hold on, let me grab my jacket," she said. She dashed out of his sight, and returned with a black jacket, which she quickly threw around her shoulders.

"Alriught, let's go!" she said. Shikamaru let a dry smile on his face. That girl was nothing but smiles, despite what had happened with Uchiha.

They walked side by side down to the (rather large) cemetary near the edge of the village. It was nearly midnight, but it was also a full moon. Sakura had picked up a small boquet of flowers from Ino's shop on the way.

The silence was comfortable as Shikamaru opened the gate to the cemetary. Sakura followed him as he walked to the well-memorized spot where his sensei's grave lay.

Sakura set the flowers on the tombstone, and stood up again. There was a long period of silence before Shikamaru finally spoke.

"You know, he never did beat me at shogi" he said quietly. Sakura looked at him and saw a rare look of sorrow on his face. Sakura's eyebrows turned up in worry.

"And yet, for all my brains, it didn't make up for the strength I needed to save him" he said. Sakura could obviously see how much his Asuma's death was eating away at him, even 3 years after the incident. She moved closer and pulled a daring move, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Don't tear yourself up so much. Asuma would turn in his grave if you started neglegting his son because you're still upset over him" she said softly. Shikamaru snorted.

"True. But that kid is a nightmare. Every 10 seconds I find myself stuck in a genjutsu. And he doesn't even know he's doing it!" he muttered. But he loved little Ayumu like the father he had been replacing.

"See, you're already bac to your annoying, complaining self" Sakura joked. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

* * *

**Aaaaand...DONE! Another chapter down, more chapters to go...blah. **

**Grrrrh, it's so annoying having to type up basically the same things every chapter. For all my newbies, I had this same story up a few months ago, but my sister downloaded a virus onto my computer so I had to bash it. BUT NOW I AM BACK...still without a computer, but I use every chance I get! Have no fear, my devoted fans (you know who you are), I shall not give up!**

**Anyways, here are mah notes (yes, I said mah, deal with it).**

**On Hidan's attitude: For all of you who are rolling your eyes at reading this because Hidan is so out of character, let me just say that if you had been blown up and buried for six years, and expected your "god" to save you, but he basically says "fuck you, you failed" you would be pretty shaken up too...or at least a normal person would...not that I'm saying Hidan is normal. Blah**

**On the omake: Yes, I am going to have a little ShikaSaku in this fic, but its mostly just a brother-sister kind of relationship...most of the time...WAAAAAH! KAYA HAS SAID TOO MUCH!**

**And my poll-of-the-chapter:**

**Which Battle is your Favorite?**

**a. Naruto vs. Pein/Pain/Nagato**

**b. Naruto vs. Sasuke at the Valley of the End**

**c. The Sasuke Retreival Team vs. The Sound Five**

**d. Other (let me know in a review, please!)**

**Alright, this concludes my update, Kaya is out. PEACE!**

**...**

**Word -_-" **


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura's eyes widened and she was shocked into silence. She opened her mouth to complain but Tsunade held up her hand and she clamped it shut again.

"No buts alright! Hidan's waiting in the operation room isn't he?" Tsunade looked at her. Sakura sighed and nodded and turned around to head out the door. Tsunade watched her turn to leave, and gritted her teeth.

"Don't think I don't see it Sakura. I think its time you got over the past" she said slowly. Sakura had her hand on the doorknob when she froze. Her hand clenched the handle much tighter than necessary. Painful memories surfaced, and her heart began aching. She gritted her teeth before turning to look at Tsunade out of the corner of her eye.

"No disrespect intended, but I will get over when I wish to. Good day" she said quietly, before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. She could wait until she got home to cry.

She headed back down to the operation room. Hidan was standing, leaning heavily against the table. She smirked, despite the painful throbbing in her chest.

"I thought I told you not to overdo it" she walked over to him and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He jumped and cocked his head in her direction and glared at her. She smirked more dangerously and put a little chakra into her hand.

"Don't make me force you" she said, a deadly smile on her face. She put a little pressure on his shoulder making him wince and buckle. Eventually she managed to coax him back on the table. She smiled triumphantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it? Well get used to it…" she sighed as if she didn't want to say her next words (which she didn't).

"By order of the Hokage herself, I am going to be your personal nurse on your recovery" she grumbled. He grimaced and crossed his arms, not saying anything. Come on, she at least expected a little more than what Neji would do!

'_Hmm, I wonder what this silence is all about' _she thought. She began to worry. Could there be something wrong with his vocal cords?

'_**He might be broken'**_ Inner Sakura burst into her thoughts, startling Sakura.

'_Well no dip, Sherlock, he has just been sewn back together after being blasted into a million pieces!'_ Inner Sakura thought; annoyed.

'_**I'm not talking about THAT kind of broken. He's been following his stupid god for who knows how long and all the sudden he gets up and leaves him to rot in a hole...kind of like how Sasuke got up and left—'**_

Sakura clamped down on her thoughts, but not before her Inner opened up the fragile wound in her heart she had been fighting to close ever since…_he_ left...the Bastard. The hole grew and threatened to consume her once again but she fought it down.

'_Not here, not now. I'll have time to cry later'_ she swallowed thickly, shook her head and forced a wry half-smile.

"We can leave the hospital as soon as you're well enough to walk" she said, her voice trembling only slightly. Inner, did a fist pump and congratulated her. He uncrossed his arms and looked at her. She held out her hand for him to grab.

He stared at it as if it was something that dropped from space. She blew a stray hair out of her face impatiently, the pain in her chest slowly subsiding into an ever-present dull throb.

"Don't worry, I won't bite" she said sarcastically as she slipped her hand into his and gently helped him stand. Her loathing for him put aside, there was still a part of her that couldn't be truly evil to anyone...but maybe a little malicious. She helped him into the shirt, but even that little movement had sweat beading his forehead.

"Do you want me to bring you a wheelchair?" she asked, her humor fading away, replaced by worry (stupid kind side!). He gave her a death glare (to which, she ignored), and stood up. He wobbled for a second then he straightened out with a smirk on his face. Sakura shrugged.

"If you can walk, then we can leave" she said and turned around and headed toward the door; Hidan close behind.

On the outside, he looked pretty good, save the stitches all over his body, but on the inside he _really _disliked the feeling of walking around, still felling like several different pieces. Every step sent shockwaves of pain up his legs. She led him up and out of the hospital and they were walking down the street.

People stared at them as they walked past but Sakura paid them no attention.

"If you want to keep your head in this village, I suggest you stop looking like a guy who has a stick lodged in his ass" she hissed quietly. He flicked his gaze over to her to see her green eyes looking anywhere but at him. It seemed legitimate.

_'Jashin-sama this! Jashin-sama that! Fat lot a good he did me, the tricky bastard. "Worship me and you will be immortal, and all powerful!" Oh yeah? WELL FUCK YOU TOO, JASHIN-TEME!' _ he thought bitterly. His thoughts were interrupted when Sakura stopped by a small stand on the side of the road that sold fruits.

"Want any?" she asked boredly as she chose out four apples, two pears and an orange, along with a case of strawberries. He shook his head. She dropped her purchases in a paper bag and took out a small pink purse.

"Okay. Thank you Mr. Nakamura!" she said cheerily as she waved.

"Have a nice day Ms. Haruno!" he called after her. Hidan allowed himself a small smirk. She was all smiles.

'_But they're not real'_ thought Hidan noticing how her smile faded once the fruit guy was out of sight. Suddenly an unnatural gust of wind blew past them and Sakura's bag jerked. Where he wasn't standing a moment before, a man with yellow hair and a goofy grin appeared behind them. He was wearing white pants and a black, high-collared shirt under a black cloak with orange flames at the bottom and at the sleeves. He took a bite out of the apple and grinned.

"Thanks Sakura-chan!" he yelled. Hidan's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Naruto! I paid for that apple!" she yelled, a vein popping out on her forehead, but a wry smile tugged at the corners of her lips. He raised his hands in surrender and walked over holding out the apple.

"You can keep it" she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. He took another bite out of the apple and grinned.

"I thought so" he said with another dumb grin. "Who's your friend?" he said suddenly as if he just noticed Hidan, taking another bite out of the apple as he gestured to Hidan. He was about to take another bite, when he paused and squinted at Hidan.

"Hold on a second..." he said in a suspicious voice. He tapped his finger on his chin.

"I've seen you before, I know I've seen you before..." he mumbled. Hidan felt the hair on the back of his neck rise slightly. Suddenly, Naruto gasped.

"YOU'RE-!" Sakura tackled him and clamped a hand over his mouth. He tried squirming out of her grip, but went still when she punched him furiously on the head.

"Oooowww, Sakura-chan, what was that for?" he whined, holding the lump on his head. She gave him a serious look.

"Yes, I know he's Hidan no Yugakure, I know he's an S-ranked criminal, so _shut your pie-hole!" _she half-yelled, half-whispered. He looked at Hidan, then at Sakura, then back and forth between two. Suddenly, a cheeky grin spread across his face. Sakura had pinned him on his stomach on the ground and had one arm twisted at a painful angle. Sakura rolled her eyes as he opened his mouth.

"Don't even think about saying it, Naruto, or I swear to Kami, I'll cut off your balls and feed them to you" she said. Naruto paled and managed to untangle himself from Sakura. He waved is hands around nervously, before scratching the back of his head.

"T-that wasn't what I was going to say at all, Sakura-chan! H-honest! But why are you hanging around guys like him, anyways? Shouldn't he be with Ibiki or something?" He said, dusting himself off, regaining his cool. Sakura sighed, puffing that stray hair out of her face again, and put her hands on her hips.

"Technically yes, but Tsunade-shishou saved him a long a painful interrogation by worming her way past the rules. You should thank her for that by the way, it's not often when she decides to use blackmail" she added, tossing her gaze at Hidan, before returning it to the blonde in front of them. Hidan shifted his weight to his other foot, uncomfortable tingles beginning to crawl up his leg.

"Oh, yeah! Almost forgot. Naruto, I need you to do me a favor" she said. Naruto blinked and gave a half-grin, tucking his hands behind his head.

"Sure Sakura-chan, anything!" he said. Sakura motioned for Naruto to come closer. He leaned down and Sakura raised herself onto his tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Hidan would have laughed if he had been any other person, the height difference between them was comical. Naruto was at least a head taller than her, and Sakura was particularly short. She whispered something, and Naruto grin vanished, to be replaced with something more serious.

"Oh...right. I-I'll see you guys later." He said, in a quieter voice. Hidan wondered what the pink-haired kunoichi could have said to dampen the boisterous blonde's spirit. Well, it wasn't any of his business.

Hidan was now slightly irritated as the uncomfortable tingling was now in both legs.

Sakura sighed. "He's probably half-way across town already. I still don't get how he can use his dad's teleportation jutsu without the marks" Sakura shook her head and turned around and continued down the street, Hidan close behind. He was a little surprised to see the sun was already low in the sky.

They walked for another ten minutes until they came to a tall apartment building. But instead of heading for the door she turned around the corner of the building. A hobo was sitting there, snoring.

"Jiro" she said padding over to the hobo and squatting in front of him.

"Jiro, wake up. Jiro…JIRO!" she yelled. The guy's eyes shot open. He snorted and looked around flailing his arms everywhere.

"I'M INNOCENT! Oh, hey Sakura" he yawned and stretched. Sakura stood up, and chuckled. She took out an apple and passed it to him.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed licking his lips, before chomping down on the apple. Juice dribbled down into his wild beard and Hidan grimaced. Why was she wasting a perfectly good apple on this bozo?

"Thanks Sakura!" he said as he swallowed. She chuckled again and said, "Anytime, Jiro" she turned and headed back towards the door. Hidan gave Jiro one last look and followed Sakura.

They walked through the glass doors and into a simple lobby. They went up the elevator to the 12th floor and they walked down the hall to room 1228. She unlocked the door and flicked on the light. He was expecting pink walls, fluffy pink carpets and chairs. He got almost the complete opposite.

The walls were a cool blue and several framed drawings hung on them. There was an enormous flat-screen T.V. to the left with two c.d. towers on either side. A black leather couch was right in front of it with a glass table in between it. The carpet was thick and felt like fleece. Past the T.V. was a hallway with five doors, two on either side and one at the end. To the right of the couch, a hole in the wall leads into a small but spacious kitchen. The right wall had a large sliding glass door that opened to a small balcony.

'_Wow, I wonder how much the rent costs'_ Hidan thought. This _had _to be a penthouse.

"Okay, first things first, let's lay down some rules." She said as she dropped her bag on the coffee table. She then turned around and gave him a sharp look and pointed a finger at him.

"Rule number one, you only get to stay here until your rehabilitation is complete. After that, you get the boot, and trust me, I have some ass-kicking boots in my closet just waiting to cause some physical harm" she said. Hidan kept his gaze even.

"Rule number two, stay out of my stuff. You don't snoop in my room, I won't snoop in yours, nothing more, nothing less. Oh, and so help me Kami, if I come home to find my apartment a mess, I will hit you so hard you will be shitting teeth for a month." She hissed. Hidan was starting to worry about this woman's mental health if she used almost as many swear words as he used to. She seemed very violent (if you couldn't tell).

"And rule number three, if I ever, and I mean _EVER _learn that you harmed _ANYONE _in this village, I will beat you seven ways to hell. So trust me, if you think you can pull one over on _this_ kunoichi, you're dead wrong" she spat. Hidan had to hold back a grin. This...this _Sakura_ was feisty. And he had no doubt that she wouldn't back up her threats.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She opened her vibrant emerald eyes and Hidan was relieved to see they were much less fear-inducing. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Okay, maybe that was a little over the top. But I meant every word I said, and I really don't want to have to deal with some self-sacrificing lunatic" she said in a much calmer voice. Hidan sighed mentally, and nodded. She put on a wry smirk and leaned slightly to the side as she undid her braid, running her hand through her hair to get rid of any tangles. She yawned and stood straight again. Hidan allowed his stiff-as-a-board body to relax slightly. So as long as he did nothing to piss her off, he would be okay...probably.

"Come on, I'm all bitched out now. Your room is this way" she said. Hidan watched as she walked toward the hallway with the five doors. After some courage-gathering, he followed her, albeit at a distance.

They walked down the hall to the last room on the left. She opened it and stepped to the side to let him in. It wasn't too impressive. Just a small bed with black sheets, a dresser, and a nightstand, with a window above the bed. Nothing too fancy.

"You're welcome" she said. Hidan rolled his eyes.

He stepped in gingerly, his muscles straining to keep him upright. He crossed over and sank onto the bed, sighing with relief. He ran a hand through his nightmare of hair and grimaced at the tangles.

"Not to criticize, but you could use a bath. You smell like dirt" she smirked and waved her hand for him to follow. He groaned inwardly and stood up again, wincing at the fresh waves of pain. He heard water start to run and Sakura came back out of the first door on the right as he left his own room.

"This is the bathroom" said Sakura, as she wiped her wet hands on her skirt. The walls were a soft yellow, the counter had two sinks and the counter was made of marble. A door lead to the bathtub and toilet. The tub was deep and made of the same stuff as the counter.

Sakura ran the water and turned towards the door.

"I'm gonna step outside to let you get undressed and in the tub. If you're not in the water by the time I come back, tough luck." She was about to leave the bathroom, when she paused. She looked back at him, with something akin to curiosity in her eyes. Hidan met her gaze, and held it.

"You're not going to talk?" she asked. Hidan blinked his fuchsia eyes and said nothing.

"Nothing?" Hidan crossed his arms.

"Not one little word?" Hidan had to fight the urge to smirk. She narrowed her gaze at him. She relaxed and crossed her arms.

"Fine, I won't push you. But let this be known, Tsunade-shishou doesn't like it when she doesn't get a reply. Maybe you should take up sign language" she said jokingly. Hidan scowled. Sign language? Seriously?!

Hidan sighed as Sakura finally left.

'_This is going to be interesting...that or very painful'_ thought Hidan as he quickly undressed and stepped into the steaming water.


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura leaned against the wall, counting to thirty. Hey, she had a little mercy in her soul alright?

'_One, two, three, four-'_

_**'thirty-six, nine, fourteen, ninety-eight' **  
_

_'five, nine, ten, eleven- DAMMIT! Why do you always insist on screwing things up?!'_

_**'It's fun to watch you get all pissy'**_

_'Oh, I'm laughing so hard'_

**_'Never mind, the traitor is in there, waiting for you' _**

_'Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever'_

Sakura grabbed a towel from the closet in the pre-bathroom area (a.k.a. the area before the toilet and tub), and knocked on the door.

"Hidan, I'm coming in" she said. She turned the knob and walked in, and watched amusedly as an enormous yawn stretched across his face. She dropped the towel on the toilet lid and kneeled down next to the tub. He hunched over slightly, and glared at her.

"Glare all you want Hidan" she said, flashing a dry smirk. "You don't scare me too much." Hidan scowled at her, before he blew away a hunk of dirty hair that was hanging in his face. It only fell back in the exact same place.

Hidan watched as little emotion played across her face as she dipped the sponge into the water next to his arm. He watched as she squeezed out the water on top of his head.

"You're going to get soap in your eyes if you don't close them" she said off-handedly. Reluctantly, Hidan closed his eyes. He really didn't like not being able to see what was around him. It made the back of his neck tingle.

When she began massaging her fingers into his scalp, he snapped his eyes open and grabbed one of the offensive wrists. He shot a look at Sakura. She gave him an annoyed one.

"What? You're not going to get that dirt out of your hair any other way. Plus I don't want your stitches to pop while you try to reach the center of your back. It's very disturbing, walking in on a bunch of floating body parts, but wouldn't be my first time." she said irritatedly. Hidan glared at her for a few more seconds, before releasing his grip on her wrist.

"Thank you" she said. Hidan rolled his eyes, and had the childish urge to make the 'blah-blah' motion with one hand. Fortunately, he resisted that urge. He sighed as Sakura ran her fingers through his long-ish hair, to get rid of any tangles.

"Eyes closed" she commanded. This time, he did it a bit more willingly. He felt the water ripple as she gathered water in the sponge again, and wrung it out on his head. She finished rinsing out the shampoo and he felt her pause.

"Hold on" she said. She stood up and walked out of the bathroom, only to come back a few seconds later with a pair of scissors. He watched her curiously. She kneeled behind him again.

"How short do you want it?" she asked. Hidan ran his fingers through his hair, and brushed it back, into what his old hairstyle looked like. He put a hand at around the nape of his neck.

"Alright, hold still" she said. She took a lock of hair between two fingers and with a single, deft motion, it fell to the floor, no longer attached to his head. It only took a few minutes to snip off the rest of his hair. When she finished, he shook his head from side to side, and adjusted his hair. Sakura rolled her eyes. Men. Typical.

She grabbed the bar of soap and rubbed it onto the sponge until suds and soapy foam gathered on it. She readjusted herself slightly and began massaging the sponge into his back. Slowly, the dirt streamed off his body and into the tub. Hidan stared at the rippling water, not letting a word escape his mouth.

Meanwhile, Sakura was waiting for him to say something, anything to break the stifling silence around them. Alas, she was disappointed. Sakura sighed as she ran the sponge over his right shoulder.

"You know..." she said finally, breaking the silence. Hidan didn't make any movement to show he heard her, but Sakura could tell from the way that his right ear twitched that he was listening.

"The day I became Tsunade-shishou's apprentice, I took the Hippocratic Oath.

_I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgement; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anyone who asks for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarily, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and art. I will not use the knife, even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in such work. Whatever house I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves." _Sakura recited the oath she took, well the important parts anyway.

"She also added her own imput to it. She made me swear that I would always try to the best of my abilities...to give anyone a second chance. Ignoring any and all past sins, I hope that would have the strength to heal them, or the wisdom to know when to give up."

Hidan looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She moved around the tub and her green eyes met his violet ones.

"Despite the fact that I should absolutely _despise _you for killing a fellow shinobi, I have decided, albeit against my better judgement, to give you a second chance. And if you screw it up, I'll let Naruto deal with you...which you really don't want" she said, a wry chuckle escaping her throat near the end.

Hidan had a faint sense of impending doom right then. Sakura continued to massage the dirt out of his skin. It was much harder than she had previously imagined. Six years in the ground made the dirt seep into his skin like dye.

"Done" she said several minutes later. Hidan's head snapped up slightly at the sound of her voice. She stood up and stretched, sighing as her back popped serveral times.

"Hold on while I get you something to wear" she said. As soon as she stepped out of the door, she slapped herself in the forehead.

"God dammit, what the hell is he gonna wear?! I don't even know his size!" Sakura muttered to herself. Right then, theh doorbell rang. Sakura sighed.

"I just can't seem to get a break, can I?" she mumbled to herslf as she walked through her apartment to the door. She opened it and was slightly to see none other than Tatsuki standing there with a bag in his hands.

"Tatsuki? What brings you here?" she asked, leaning on the door frame. Tatsuki smiled scratched the back of his head.

"Hello, Sakura-san. Hokage-sama sent me to give this to you" he sid politely. He held out the bag. Sakura raised an eyebrow and grabbed the bag.

"Thanks Tatsuki. Fetch." she said as she tossed a cookie over his shoulder.

"WOOT!" he yelled before he snatched it out of mid-air and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

"Fank-oo, 'Akura!" he said through a mouthful of chocolate chunk cookie. Sakura snorted and shut the door, saying, "Sure thing, Tatsuki"

She walked back into the-room-that-you-could-call-living-room-but-not-really and set the bag on the coffee table before rifling through it. She almost wanted to do a victory fist-pump when she found two or three outfits in there for the man currently sitting in her bathtub.

She grabbed what looked like the only pair of pj's for him and headed back to the bathroom with them.

She knocked twice on the door.

"Heads up" she said as she walked in. Hidan was relaxing against the back of the tub with his eyes closed. He cracked one open to look up at her. She dropped the clothes on the toilet.

"Get dressed, and I'll have dinner ready" she said, before leaving Hida to himself. Hidan blinked and slowly hauled himself out of the bathtub. He quickly towled himself off and changed into the clothes that Sakura gave him. A faded pair of sweat pants and a black t-shirt.

He reached for the doorknob, when something scratched his side under his shirt. He grabbed a section of cloth and yanked on it. A folded piece of paper fell out and onto the ground. he picked it up and saw the word Sakura written on it in an elegant script.

_'Sakura...cherry blossom. Heh, fitting...' _he thought. He walked out of the bathroom and used the towel to dry the rest of the water from his hair. He dropped it in what looked like the laundry basket on his way out the second door of the bathroom.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Sakura cutting vegetables on the counter. Or, part of it, rather. Every wall had a counter on it except for the one the door (or opening, since there was no door. Just a hole) was in, and that was taken up with the stove and a very large fridge. There was even a lone island in the middle of the area. Why did this chick need all that counter space?! Anyways...

He tossed the note he found on the island counter and knocked on the wall twice. Sakura picked up the carrots she had been chopping as she turned around to look at him. He pointed to the note.

"Thanks" she said. she dropped the carrots in a pot that steamed when she removed the lid. She wiped her hands on a towel and picked up the note and unfolded it. She stared at it for a few seconds before she snapped her fingers together.

"Ah ha! So that's what that was!" she said, more to herself than to Hidan. She checked on whatever was in the pot before she brushed past Hidan and into the sorta-kinda-not-really living room and came back seconds later with something clutched in her fist.

She laid the note on the counter and studied the item in her hand. It was about a foot long and black with what looked like red leather wrapped around most of it.

"Hmmm...it should beeee...ah ha, found it!" she pressed something on the little stick and with a smooth grating noise, it slide out into the 6-foot scythe it really was. Hidan's hand twitched slightly.

"Woah. You gotta hand it to Tatsuki, he knows his weapons. Tenten taught him, so I wouldn't expect anything less" she said. She looked back down at the note and traced some of the words with one finger.

"Tsunade says _'be careful with this, the blade has self-regenetive poison coating it. Knock yourself out, but not literally' _Hm. Funny, I thought you were supposed to be on probation, but whatever" she tossed the scythe at him. On reflex, he reached up and snatched it out of mid-air. He ran his hands over the smooth metal and noticed words carved above the leather of the handle.

_Ankoku Ken _

Hidan grinned. It was a fitting name for the ebony black weapon. He looked back up at her and gently tapped the end against the tile. _  
_

"Now go put that in your room or something, I don't want all my furniture cut up" she droned as she set two bowls on the table and went back to the stove for the mysterious pot.

Hidan puffed a stray hair out of his face in irritation and walked back to his temporary room and rested his scythe against the wall. Women. Typical.

He rested his new scythe against the wall of his room, before heading back to the kitchen/dining room.

Sakura was already dishing out the mysterious contents in the pot into two bowls set out on the counter. Turns out, there was beef stew in the pot, and it let off a mouthwatering aroma.

Hidan sat down silently and caught the chopsticks Sakura flung at him. He gave her annoyed look, but she just smirked and sat down.

"Just making sure you haven't gotten soft" she said before she popped a piece of meat in her mouth. Hidan rolled his eye before snapping apart his chopsticks and dropping them in the broth.

He cautiously poked at it several times. After all, you could never be too careful in the presence of a talented kunoichi who was very skilled with poisons.

"Eat it, or I'll force feed you. Six years without any form of energy in your system ought to take a heavy toll on you." she said. He looked up, and did a double take as he saw her reading a very thick text book. Where the hell had that come from?!

Hidan picked up a carrot and raised it to his lips. He caught Sakura peeking over the edge of her book and studying him, the angry scowl momentarily gone from eher face. It was more..curious than anything. He met her gaze evenly. She flinched and flushed bright red. The scowl returned.

"What?!" she snapped. Hidan forced down the urge to grin, but still let a smug smirk onto his face. He wondered what else he could do to make her cheeks that red. Hidan blinked at the naughty thought that entered his mind.

Woah...

Where in the name of Kami did that come from?!

_'Never mind' _he thought as his stomach growled. The stew tasted pretty good, except the carrots could have used a few more minutes.

He was about halfway done when Sakura snapped her textbook shut. Hidan looked up and watched as she stood up and placed her bowl in the sink. She yawned and looked at the clock on her stove. It read 9:30. Sakura swore softly.

"Damn it, and tomorrow I have a night shift. Shout if you have any questions, or if you start experiencing any unusual sensations" she said before disappearing out of the kitchen and into the-living-room-that-isn't-really-a-living-room. After a few seconds, Hidan heard a door slam.

He sighed to himself. He was in for a long (and probably very painful) stay in Konohagakure. He heard Sakura's door open again and she appeared, leaning on the frame of the door-hole-thing.

Without any warning, she flung a kunai at him. Hidan's hand snapped up and caught it,but his muscle clenched up at the sudden movement.

"Welcome to Konoha, enjoy your stay!" she said cheerily before she went back to her room. Hidan's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

**Omake: Sakurapocolypse**

"Sakura!" yelled a familiar voice. Sakura turned around from where she had been talking to the fruit-stand-guy.

"Hey, Pig! Do have my twenty yen?" Sakura asked her 12-year-old best friend/worst enemy.

"Very funny, Forehead!" She said between pants. She finally stood up straight and began to talk normally (flipping her hair as she did so).

"Ya ready for your iniciation tomorrow? I heard Tsuande-sama was going to take you on as an apprentice. It seems fitting for you, Forehead! You need to fill up that giant space in your brain" Ino sneered playfully. Sakura dropped her bag of groceries.

"T-tomorrow? YOU MEAN I HAVE TO BE THERE _TOMORROW?!_" she screeched. Ino frowned and uncovered her ears.

"Yeah, I thought you knew...what, did you forget to read that textbook for the 50th time?" Ino snorted. Sakura began panicking and started sprinting home.

"I FORGOT TO STUDY THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH! TASUNADE-SAMA REMINDED MY ABOUT THAT A WEEK AGO!" she yelled before disapearing from her sight. Ino blinked in surprise. Sakura..._forgot?! _Sakura never forgot anything! No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her to stop mentioning that one time Ino had slipped face-first into a mud puddle. Ino blinked again.

She shouldn't have eaten her dad's pork rinds before walking in the hot August sun.

* * *

**_And that's a wrap! Okay, so what do you think of Hidan's new personality? Is it too insane? If you've got any tips, please tell me in the reviews. Please leave me reviews...Kaya is sad when she has no reviews. _**

**_My poll-of-the-update:_**

**_Which Jinchuuriki is your Favorite?_**

**_a. Naruto_**

**_b. Gaara_**

**_c. Killer Bee_**

**_d. Other (if that's possible...tell me in the reviews)_**

**_Until next time,_**

**_Peace out -_-"_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Corner: I find something strangely amusing to write author's notes. It makes the page look less blank, and daunting with a big fat author's note of gibberish just hanging around at the top :3 Well, this one could use a burst of creativity or five, but I guess it will have to go hungry. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but Tatsuki is aaaaaaaaaaall miiiiiiiiiiiiiine :D**

* * *

Sakura rolled over and groaned. _Wakey wakey sleepy head! Wakey wakey, up up up! _Her alarm yelled. Sakura had to control herself as not to crush the hated device with her monster strength.

She buried her face in her pillow and let out a long sigh. Ugh, curse that hated ball of energy in the sky (a.k.a. the sun). And the alarm clock. She cursed whoever invented the alarm clock. May all their bacon burn...

After slapping the snooze button three times, she decided that it was time to drag her sorry butt out of bed and go through her morning routine at nearly 6:00 in the morning.

Shower. Brush teeth. Fix hair. Dress. Eat breakfast. It was like a program downloaded into her brain or something. She could do it without thinking. Naruto often called her a zombie when she went through that same routine on missions together.

She down at the table and poured herself some tasteless Ninja O's. God, those things were nasty, but they did keep her running all day with only eight cups of coffee and a protein bar.

Slowly, Hidan crept into her thoughts. She slapped her forehead and sighed. Tsunade _had _assigned Sakura as is personal nurse on his road to recovery, but...she still had a job to do...but Hidan still needed to be looked after because he was still so weak and there were a lot of people who would likely seek revenge on him.

"Urgh!" she grumbled to herself. Why did being a medic have to be so complicated?! It was like the world was out to destroy her sanity or something.

_**'Oh, just leave him, I'm sure he can take care of himself, he IS an S-ranked criminal, after all,' **_Her inner whispered in her head. Sakura pointedly ignored her as she tried to decide on what to do.

Finally, she decided to just leave a note for him. She gabbed a paper and pen and scribbled down a short message on it.

_Hey Hidan,_

_I am working at the hospital all day. There are leftovers in the fridge. Luckily for you, you don't have to choke down those god-awful Ninja O's on the shelf, but you're welcome to try. (BURRRRRRN THEM!)_

_I wouldn't go walking around the village without some kind of henge on, what with all the ninja out for your head and all that jizz. _

_You can do whatever you want, but just know that Tsuande-shishou has two ANBU trailing until Ibiki can..."scan" you. Nah, just kidding, but I've asked Tatsuki to keep an eye on you, sorry but trust you about as far as I can throw you. Wait, I take that back, I threw Naruto over 30 yards yesterday and it won't be that hard to do to you._

_I've left some yen on the table, but I want the change back._

_-Sakura_

_P.S. Remeber what I said about snooping through my stuff..._

Sakura put down the pen and folded it in half, leaving it on the island counter for Hidan to see (hopefully). She went to the bag of clothes she left on the coach and chose out another outfit for him. She tip-toed down the hall and into Hidan's bedroom. When she had confirmed that he was really asleep, she silently crossed the room and set the clothes on the nightstand.

She grabbed her coat and vanished out the door.

* * *

Two hours later, around 9:00 Hidan woke. He looked around, momentarily confused. It came back to him in a rush of pain. He groaned and flopped down again. Eventually his growling stomach forced him out of bed. He yawned and stretched, but paused as he felt his stitches strain against the movement.

He stepped out the door and stretched again, relishing in the release in his muscles. He wandered through the apartment until he got to the kitchen. He saw the note on the counter and read it. His normal scowl adorned his face as his eyes scanned it and pocketed it. He opened the massive refrigerator and pulled out a plastic container of the stew from last night.

When he finished and set his bowl in the sink, he went back to his room. For the first time he noticed the clothes on the nightstand. Curiously, he picked them up. He almost chuckled. There was a black pair of pants, a black wife beater and a purple and black pinstripe dress shirt. He didn't find a note it in anywhere, so he put them on. The pants were a little loose around the waist, but a belt fixed that. He donned the wife beater, but ignored the shirt.

He waltzed around the apartment before returning to his room and sitting down on his bed. Her crossed his legs and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. He rested his hands on his knees and sucked in a deep breath. And let it out.

He meditated for a while, getting his chakra system back in order again. It was like...chunks...of chakra were trapped her and there in his system. Like when you were drinking an milkshake and air bubbles got caught in the straw. Well, sort of, but you get my point. When his chakra was flowing smoothly again, he opened his eyes. Even though his supply was still low and a lot smaller than it was six years ago, at least it wasn't jumping around anymore.

He stretched and hopped off the bed. He stepped out of his room and scratched the back of his head.

_'Eh, what the hell. Might as well,' _he thought as walked back into his room and picked up the shirt from where he had tossed it on his bed. He slipped it on, along with a pair of sneakers next to the door. They too were a bit big.

_'Could I have shrunk in that hole?!' _He thought. He shrugged and made a henge. He checked in the mirror. Instead of silver hair and purple eyes, he had shaggy black hair and blue eyes. He was slightly shorter and the stitches vanished. He stepped out the door and almost shut it behind him when he paused.

It would be back if he were locked out. He stepped back in and ran his fingers along the top of the door frame. He grinned as his fingers ran into a small metal object. He pocketed the key and stepped out again.

Suddenly, someone dropped off the roof next to him.

"Finally, I was wondering when you were going to come out!" whined Tatsuki. Hidan scowled. Apparently, Sakura had been serious about having Tatsuki tag along with him. Great.

Hidan glanced at Tatsuki. He kind of reminded him of the blonde guy as he tucked his hands behind his head. With shaggy/spiky black hair and that scar surrounding his right eye, he could have look menacing. Well, as he yawned widely and stretched, Hidan couldn't imagine him as an ANBU.

"The name's Tatsuki. Jus' so ya know," he said. Hidan walked down the steps and listened as Tatsuki chattered away. He tuned him out in favor of immersing himself in his thoughts. Eventually they came to the market. Different people tried selling their wares, from dango to clothes and everything in between.

Eventually, Hidan noticed Tatsuki getting fidgety. He kept looking around, and he had a childish look of curiosity on his face. Hidan sighed. It was easy to tell that he either wanted to go buy something or he had to pee. Probably the latter. Hidan poked him while keeping his other his hand in his pocket. Tatsuki looked at him. Hidan waved his hand and then pointed at the ground. Translation: _Go do whatever you need to, I'll stay here._ Tatsuki grinned.

"Thanks, I'll be right back!" he said before dashing off towards a restaurant. Hidan's lips turned down in a grimace as he waited for his guide. He was tempted to run, but with the shape of his body, and his precarious position in the village, it wasn't a good idea. He looked up at the sky. He shook a chunk of black hair out of his eyes.

The day was warm and breezy. A few fluffy clouds drifted across the sky. It wasn't too hot or too cold. Very funny, Kami. It's like he was laughing at his bitter mood.

Suddenly, he felt someone crash into him. He stumbled back a few steps from the shock of it. He looked down and saw a girl with blonde hair on the ground, rubbing her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Uh, sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going!" she said, waving her hands around nervously with a sheepish grin on her face. Wordlessly, he offered her his hand. She stared at it for a second before taking it. He pulled her to her feet, and watched as she brushed dirt off her skirt.

She stared at him and he stared back. Suddenly, her face was tinged red as she averted her eyes and stared at her feet.

"So, you gonna tell me your name or...what?" she said. Hidan frowned and stayed silent. She raised an eyebrow. She leaned in and put her hands on her hips.

"Are you a mute?" she asked. Hidan didn't have a better excuse, so he nodded.

"Well, the name's Ino. Ino Yamanaka," she said. His eyes widened fractionally.

_'Ino...as in Ino-Shika-Cho? Oh yeah...' _he thought. He shoved his hands in the pocket of his pants. Ino leaned back and smiled.

"Well, I have somewhere to- hey, Shikamaru-kun!" she looked past him and waved at someone behind.

_'Oh, for fuck's sake, can't I get a break around here?!' _Hidan thought sourly. When he turned around, it was none other than the Lazy Genius. He stepped back and tensed. Shikamaru looked at the transformed Hidan, an uninterested look on his face. Okay, he hadn't seen through his black-haired, blue-eyed disguise yet. Good.

"Ohayo, Ino-chan," he said boredly. He glanced at Hidan, returned his gaze to Ino, and did a double-take on Hidan. He began panicking. Shikamaru had beat him once, and there was no doubt that he could do it again, especially in Hidan's shape.

"Oh, Shika-kun, I have a message for you, from Sakura," she said. Shikamaru turned to look at her again.

"Okay, one second though," Shikamaru said. He wheeled around, curled his fingers into a ball, and cracked Hidan across the face. He stumbled back and crashed into and cloth seller's stand. The henge vanished.

"Shikamaru, what the hell do you think you're-?!" Ino began, before Shikamaru cut her off.

"Why don't you take a good look, Ino?" he snapped. She stopped and looked at Hidan. She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand. Horror showed in her eyes. In Shikamaru's...

They were filled with hate. They burned with it. Even Hidan was slightly fearful.

"Remember him? This _bastard..._" he kicked Hidan hard in the gut. He doubled over and tasted blood in his mouth.

"...That murdered our sensei..." He growled out. He punched Hidan in the face. Blood trickled down Hidan's face, but he made no move to hit back. A, because the crash into the stand had left him sore all over and B, because he would only made the Pineapple Head angrier.

"And left his seven-year-old son without a father!" He raised his fist to punch him again, when Ino reached out and grabbed his wrist. Shikamaru shot Ino a rare look of contempt. She glared at him unflinchingly.

"Stop it..." she whispered.

"Why should I?" he snapped back. She threw her arm towards Hidan.

"Look at him, Shikamaru!" she yelled. "He may have killed Asuma-sensei, but he can't even fight back!" Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly, the hateful look fading from it.

"Look, I hate him as much as you do, but right now, he just a defenseless man!" She said. Both Hidan and Shikamaru were shocked at her actions. Hidan could not believe that she was actually _defending _him.

"I-Ino..." he murmured.

"Oi, oi, oi, what the hell's going on here?!" yelled a new voice. That blondie from yesterday...what's-his-face, Naruto, jogged up, a raven-haired girl following behind him.

Shikamaru pulled his hand from Ino's grip and sighed in irritation.

"Mendokuse...it's nothing." He muttered. Naruto slowed to a stop in front of them. He glanced at Hidan and frowned.

"Bullshit, it's nothing. You're lucky I don't tell Baa-chan about this, 'ttebayo," he said. Hidan wiped the blood off his cheeks, struggled to his feet and brushed the dust off his pants.

_'Damn. I was barely out of the apartment for half an hour and I'm already neck-deep in shit...Karma really is a bitch,' _He thought wryly. Naruto proceeded to wack Shikamaru upside the head. Shikamaru scowled and walked away from them, muttering his trademark phrase under his breath. Ino looked at Shikamaru's receding figure, and back at Naruto, Hidan and the pearl-eyed girl, and eventually followed Shikamaru's suit.

Suddenly, Tatsuki appeared out of nowhere.

"What did I miss?" he said, a stick of pocky between his teeth. Naruto then whacked Tatsuki upside the head. The pocky went flying. He coughed as he inhaled small chunks of the candy.

"Hey, what was that for, Naruto-sempai?!" he snapped, rubbing his head. Naruto scowled and crossed his arms.

"Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on him?" he said. Tatsuki paused and a sheepish grin crossed his face. Naruto, Hidan and Hinata all sweatdropped.

"Sorry...but come on, he's the most boring person to be around!" he yelled, pointing at the said man. Hidan rolled his eyes. How in the _hell _did he become ANBU?! It seemed like all he could do is annoy his enemy to death.

"Take him back to Sakura's apartment, I am going to go beat some sense into Shikamaru," he said. He stormed off, following the man who's head looked like a pineapple. Tatsuki sighed. Hidan watched as the woman that had been trialing behind him paused nervously.

"Sorry a-about Naruto-kun, he h-has a bit of a t-temper," she said quietly. She bowed and began running after Naruto. She stopped after a few seconds.

"M-my name is Hinata, by the way!" she called out. Hidan blinked and nearly smirked. Well,at least one person in this village didn't seem to hold any resent towards him. Though, she hadn't shown any sign of knowing who he actually _was. _

"Man, I went to the bathroom and you end up getting hurt. Gah, Sakura-chan is gonna kill me," Tatsuki grumbled, rubbing his head in a downcast manner. He looked back at Hidan, who was studying him with a weird look on his face.

"Let's get going." He muttered, turning and heading back for the apartment. Hidan didn't agrue. Or speak. Or make any noise and all, other than the sound of his feet on the dirt road. The ANBU was completely silent the entire way back, apparently deep in thought. Huh, maybe that kid _was _an ANBU.

Tatsuki left him at Sakura's apartment, and Hidan didn't miss the click of the lock behind. Great, now he was stuck back at the apartment, locked in, with nothing to do.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

He thought about meditating until Sakura got back, and was already walking down the hall to do so. He passed a door and paused. He silently counted the rooms. There were five doors. Hidan's room, Sakura's, the laundry room and the bathroom...what was in the last one? He backtracked and looked at the offending door. Hidan narrowed his eyes at it.

What was in that room?!

He put his hand on the doorknob and opened it. If he had been any other person, he would have choked on his own spit.

* * *

**Omake: I Like Your Hair**

Sakura walked down the street. She looked at her shopping list, and studied the contents from her aunt.

"Why would she need kelp extracts?" she muttered to herself. Suddenly, she crashed into a very large something. She stumbled back and flushed bright red.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't- Oh, hey Sai," she sighed with relief as she recognized her teammate. Sai didn't react to being run into. Same emotionless expression. Like always. It was a bit unnerving.

"I like your hair." He said. Sakura blinked.

"Um, what?"

"Your eyes are pretty."

"Are you flirting with me?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Sai remained unfazed.

"My book said that to avoid a female's rage, you should shower her with compliments," he said, offering a fake smile, hiding a book he had been recently holding. Sakura sighed in exasperation.

"Sai, I'm not mad at you, I just wasn't paying attention, it was my fault," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Sai flipped open his book and studied for a few seconds.

"Alright, I will see you around, Ugly." He waved with a cheery smile and walked past her. Sakura sweat dropped.

"And I thought he had gained a sense of romance...WHAT DO YOU MEAN TO AVOID A WOMAN'S WRATH?!"

* * *

**Author's Corner: Okay, I just realized that I posted the same omake on two different chapters. Sorry about that, I'm just really overwhelmed by all these projects that school is dumping on me. The downside of having all Pre-AP classes TT_TT**

**Besides the point of my whining, I'd like to give a little shout out to SkellingtonZero, who is a friend of mine on here. You should go check him out, he's a great writer. :)**

** Until next time:**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Corner: Hello my lovelies! How are you? Did you have fun while I was away? -_- Who am I kidding, everyone has fun when I'm not around TT^TT Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this. Do you have any idea how hard it is to type with a broken pinky?! Do you?! **

**.^.**

**Sorry 'bout that, Boot Camp is not really enjoyable. At all. Lord help me. Especially with the football coaches. And I used to be _jealous _of the guys! Come on, girls, we all know that boy's have it easier with puberty and all that sh*t. **

**So, without any further ado, you may read my wonderful writing :3 **

**Naruto: Oi, Kaya-chan, don't forget the disclaimer!**

**Kaya: Oh right...hem-hem...KayaKazakidoesnotownNarutoor anythingelsetodowithMasashiK ishimotoandshemostlikelyneve rwill. O^O**

* * *

Hidan looked around in wonder. The whole room was filled with books and scrolls of every kind. There were a few plants on a desk with papers littered across it's surface. A chair sat in the corner along with a reading lamp on a small table next to it. It was like an at-home library.

'_Ho-ly crap' _he thought slowly. He wandered down the long room, studying the plants. Some were recognizable, like roses and tulips, others were completely weird. Like a flower that was a deep purple and whenever he got close, it closed up.

He abandoned the plants and walked towards the bookshelves, running his finger down the spines. They didn't seem to be in any kind of order, judging from the titles. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Haruno Family Tree, the Alchemyst_ were just a few of the choices. He found one that looked interesting and pulled it off the shelf. He walked over to the chair and sank into it. Soon he was lost in a world much better than his own.

* * *

"Hidan? You here? YOU BETTER NOT BE IN MY ROOM!" Hidan smirked and snapped the book shut. He stood up just as the door opened and Sakura's signature pink hair popped through. She snapped her eyes to Hidan before sighing lightly.

"I expected to find you in the nearest training field, not here," she said jokingly. She stepped in and Hidan blinked twice. Sakura's uniform was torn slightly at the shoulder and spattered with blood. It woke old memories...bad memories. Ones that he'd rather not recall. He shook his head to clear it, but Sakura had already noticed his brief moment of lost composure.

"We found a man in the village next to ours. He had completely lost his mind, but needed treatment. You're not a hemophobic, are you? Oh, wait, dumb question, sorry." Hidan's eyebrows dipped down briefly in a frown at the mention of his past. He sighed silently and closed his eyes, and went to replace the book on the shelf. She watched him warily before walking up to a different section of the book shelves.

"Cool, huh? It took me years to get this many. I'm a bookworm, if you can't tell," she said. She laughed lightly before slowly trailing her fingers over the spines, a distant look in her eyes. There was a stretch of silence. Her eyes flicked to him.

"What happened? You don't match your file at all, it's like a split personality. I can't even believe that Tsunade-shishou let you in the village, nonetheless outside of a prison cell." She calmly, averting her gaze. She knew it must have been a touchy subject, but her weariness from that day at the hospital had overruled her sense of politeness. There was a long moment of silence.

"I changed."

Sakura gasped lightly and she snapped her head around to stare at Hidan. He hadn't moved at all, and if she hadn't just _heard _him speak, she would have thought that nothing had happened. But something _did. _

"Oh."

Hidan slid the book back into it's original place (not that it really _had _it's own place) and turned and walked towards the door. As he passed her, Sakura narrowed her eyes. Her hand snapped out and latched around his arm, effectively stopping him.

"What's this?" She said, pointing to the bruise on his cheek. She cocked an eyebrow dangerously.

_"Shit..."_

* * *

After a decent scolding, she healed his cheek with the last of her chakra and booted him off to bed. The door clicked shut. Hidan sighed in irritation before flopping back on the bed he had been given. Suddenly, the door swung open again and Sakura stuck her head in.

"Oh, the Hokage wants to see us tomorrow, so don't go psycho on me, alright?" She piped. Hidan rolled his eyes and gave her a thumbs up.

"I'll wake you up early tomorrow, so we can get ready" she said before she shut her door. Hidan yawned and rubbed his eyes. For his second day in Konoha, it hadn't really been that bad. If you didn't count the beat down for Pineapple-Head. His eyes drooped shut, and he sank into sleep.

* * *

_"No...no...not now, not here, not to me..."_

_Hidan ran through a small village, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Piercing screams erupted around him as a scene came into view over the hill he was climbing. His village sat below, engulfed in flames. Hidan's eyes widened with fright. He bolted down the hill, hoping he wasn't too late._

_"Tou-san! Kaa-san! Where are you?!" he yelled as he looked wildly through his neighbor hood. An enormous boom sounded to his right and he was just able to throw his hands in front of his face before the shock wave blasted him off his feet. He slammed into an old building and his breath left him in one big woosh. The building collapsed around him; it was a miracle he hadn't been crushed. His head spun as he looked around, through the dust thrown up by the the explosion. The acrid smell of blood, smoke, and burning flesh filled his nose. He nearly became sick._

_Two ninja appeared, wielding long katana. One by one, they killed every. Single. Person. Including the children. Hidan watched with horror as his friends were slaughtered before his eyes. Then he spotted his mom. That snapped him out of his terror and filled him with anger._

_"Kaa-san!" he yelled. He tried getting out from the wreckage from the former house._

_"Hidan, no! Run! You can't—" she was cut off as a blade popped though her chest, spraying blood everywhere._

_"K-Kaa-san?" He whispered, horrified. The ninja must have not noticed him. Well, he was half-buried in rubble, so it wouldn't be that hard to miss him. He struggled out from under broken planks of wood and plaster. He rushed over to his mother's fallen form. He dropped to his knees beside her and gently rolled her over._

_"Kaa-s-san" he sobbed, his breath hitching slightly. Her eyes opened weakly and she smiled lightly. Her shaking hand reached up and cupped his face. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, though it did no good._

_"Please don't cry, my brave little senshi. You must be tough, like the oak. You must live, my senshi," she said weakly. Her eyes fluttered shut and her hand went weak. He panicked and grasped at her limp hand._

_"No! Kaa-san, you can't leave me! I'm only ten, I don't know what to do! Kaa-san!" He cried. He shook her lightly, but her skin was already growing cold. He looked at his hands; they were stained with his_ own mother's _blood! This was his worst nightmare times ten. _

_He froze with a sudden realization and looked around. Through a daze, he watched as bodies piled up around him. His gut clenched painfully tight. _

_His friends, his family, his VILLAGE was being massacred right in front of him and he couldn't stop it__. He could't help, and he couldn't fight back. His mother had sacrificed her life for him, and his cripple father was most likely dead. _

_He started crying. _

_It was stupid, right in the middle of a war zone, with a ninety percent chance of getting killed. He cried. _

_"WHY CAN'T I DO SOMETHING?!" He yelled in anguish. There was a chuckle behind him. A shiver when up his spine and he turned slowly, expecting one of the ninja that were killing everyone. Instead, he saw the exact opposite._

_A man was sitting on a _cloud, _hovering a few feet in the air. His skin was black, like, black-black-black-as-the-night, black. White designs were tattooed into his skin, like a skeleton. He had snow white hair that flowed around him and crimson red eyes. The second Hidan looked at him, he knew he was someone you wanted on your side. If not, you're dead._

_"Well, Hidan...I can give you that power." He said. His voice was deep and smooth, and yet sounded like a knife dragging across stone. Hidan blinked away his tears and swallowed his fear._

_"Power?" He croaked. The man nodded, and held out his hand. Hidan looked down at his dead mother, around at his dead friends, and back at the only person who radiated life. His resolve hardened into an iron will._

_He nodded and placed his small hand in the man's larger one. The man grinned and terrifying grin. Hidan gulped._

_And everything went black._

Hidan shot straight up in bed, panting heavily. He looked at the clock; it was nearly three in the morning. He shook his head, clearing it of the haunting memories. He squeezed his head between his knees, waiting for his heart to settle down. It had been years since he had last had that nightmare. And his gut told him that it _meant _something.

Something important.

* * *

**Omake: Make It a Double**

"A-and then -_hic- _he was all 'you can't -_hic- _beat me' and I was all 'Oh -_hic-_ yeah? You...you warthog faced buffoon! I...I can -_hic- _totally own your ass anytime I _-hic- _damn well please!" Naruto slurred out. Neji, Lee, Chouji, Naruto, Kiba, and Kankuro were all at the bar, after the success of a mission. Lee was currently yelling "YOUTH" at the top of his lungs and destroying tables. Neji was currently moaning about how _everything _was better than the Byakugan and Kankuro was complaining about his psycho brother.

"I mean -_hic- _he scared me to death for most of _-hic- _my life. You couldn't hang around him for -_hic- _an hour before he killed something!" Kankuro moaned. He strangled the air before waving for another shot of vodka. Chouji cursed as another chip missed his mouth and was crushed against his cheek. He could _not _handle his alcohol well.

Neji downed another one.

"Oh, shut it. Dumb...dumb sharingan. Getting all those damn upgrades. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRIDE OF THE BYAKUGAN?!" He whined before thumping his head against the table, out cold. Naruto snorted before downing the last of his beer.

"Nah, Kankuro's got it -_hic- _worse. Come on, living with -_hic- Gaara _for..." he counted his fingers, before giving up. "Uh, a lot of years, must have been nerve-wracking. He's so-"

_WHAM! _

The door to the bar opened and a certain redhead appeared in it. The guys' eyes went wide and goosebumps raised on their skin. Sure, Gaara had become calmer and less bloodthirsty when he became Kazekage, but he wasn't any less deadly. He walked in and up to the guys.

"Heeeeey...bro..." Kankuro said weakly. Gaara scolwed. He stepped forward...and pulled up the nearest stool and flopped down into it. Naruto, Kankuro, and Kiba watched in amazement as he ordered a Long Island Iced Tea. And then Naruto grinned.

"Hey, buddy! Welcome to the -_hic- _club! What brings you here?" he said, attempting to thump him on the back, misjudged the distance and missed, tried again and hit the target. Gaara groaned and gulped down nearly half of his drink.

"A word of advice, Naruto, don't wait for your god damn paper work to pile up when you become Hokage. Ever."

* * *

**Author's Corner: Sorry, this chapter is REALLY short, and I'm not satisfied with it at all, but I think this is as far as I can take it. I might edit it in the future. Here's your poll.**

**What's your OTP?**

**a) SasuSaku**

**b) NaruHina**

**c) NejiTen**

**d) Other, tell me in the reviews!**

**OH! Before I go, I have an announcement! If I can get 50 REVIEWS by chapter 10, I will open a request box for oneshots! Any pairing, any theme, just no yaoi or yuri. Or smut. :)**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Corner: YOLO MY LOVELIES! Yes, 'tis I, your goddess of writing and shameless fan service! Bow before me and kiss my toes! Actually...no, don't kiss my toes, that would be weird. o.0 You know, I really shouldn't eat cookies before writing my Author's Notes. **

**Ugh, and I am currently having to smell sour milk as I type this. Science fair experiment, don't ask. But really, I think I'm about barf all over my computer. ~ Help me. And after my third day of Boot Camp, my body feels like jello. Extremely sore jello. Extremely sore and tired jello. With a broken pinky. TT^TT**

**On another (happier) note, my updates are going to be a little quicker for a while (until around chapter 14) because of reasons...**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Naruto, as my drawing skills suck...terribly. .^.**

* * *

Hidan didn't get to sleep again that night. Haunting images flashed behind his eyelids every time he closed them. He sat against the headboard with his head in his hands and his legs crossed until the room began to get lighter. He heard a soft rap on the door.

"Hidan? Rise and shine, cupcake, it's seven-thirty. Oh, you're up already?" Sakura said. Hidan didn't move. Sakura frowned and stepped into his room.

"Hey, something wrong?" she muttered. Hidan opened his eyes and looked up at her. He blinked again to re-hydrate his eyes. Sakura opened the door the rest of the way. She padded across the room and crouched in front of his bed. She was already dressed and ready to go, but her was still wet from a recent shower and she smelled of strawberries. She studied him for a moment.

"You didn't get much sleep, if any. Nightmares?" she guessed. Hidan paused before nodding. "Do you want me to cancel with the Hokage?" she added. Hidan waved his hand half-heartedly and shook his head. Sakura stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Alright. You have half an hour to get ready, don't make me wait." She said before leaving. Hidan rubbed his eyes wearily before sliding off the bed. He stretched and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

He rested his palms on the cool counter and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked horrible. Gray shadows hung under his eyes and he was slightly pale. He shook the drowsiness from him and splashed his face with cool water. It helped at little.

He brushed his teeth and ran his hands through his hair. He pushed it back, but it began to unravel as soon as he removed his hand. His

He walked out of his room to find Sakura on the ground looking under the couch.

"Keys, keys, where are my damn keys?" she mumbled, oblivious to Hidan, who was standing directly behind her. He tried not to blush at the _very _suggestive view she was giving him. He awkwardly cleared his throat, watching with amusement as she hit her head on the small table above her.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," she muttered, rubbing her head vigorously. She glared at him.

"What are you smirking at?!" she snarled. Hidan raised his hands in defense, but a smile still tugged at the corners of his mouth. Sakura rolled her eyes. Her hair was dry now, and tied into a long braid.

"Whatever. Come on, we're already late as it is. I said half an hour, baka!" she snapped, checking her watch. Hidan rolled his eyes, but followed after her as she walked out the door and locked it behind her.

* * *

They got many stares as they walked down the street, mostly from the wandering shinobi who had seen his face in the Bingo Book, before it had been removed. Hidan shoved his hands in his pockets and ignored them. Suddenly, a rock nailed him in the back of the head. He rubbed it and turned around to glare at the guilty culprit, to see a boy in his teens with spiky black hair. He had a glare on his face and was throwing another stone up and down in his palm.

He was about to turn around and ignore when he felt Sakura brush by him and storm over to him. The boy didn't budge as she came almost nose to nose with him. He was a few inches taller, but the short woman didn't seem to care.

"That was rude and out of line, Konohamaru." She stated. Konohamaru scowled.

"Well, why are you walking around with a crim-" he began, but was cut off by Sakura's fist. He flew backwards and slammed into a fence, where he laid in a pile of broken boards. Hidan sweatdropped at the show of violence from the supposedly caring nurse. Sakura glared at him and went to turn around when she heard Konohamaru mutter "crazy old hag" from the crater he was in. Sakura flinched and began to steam._  
_

She stomped forward and grabbed Hidan by his shirt and half-dragged him the rest of the way to Hokage tower, mumbling about how she was going to beat the living crap out of him when she got the chance. Hidan sighed and let the raging pink-haired kunoichi drag him around.

She calmed down by the time they reached the Hokage tower but she continued to drag him. She finally let him go when they were at the door to her office. She was about to knock on the door when they heard voices on the other side.

"Old hag!"

"Hyperactive knucklehead!"

"Stupid blonde!"

"Brat!"

"Oh, not again" Sakura muttered, shaking her head. She opened the doors and ducked and a vase flew over her head and smashed into the wall behind her. She motioned for Hidan to stay put before entering the room. Tsunade and Naruto were nose-to-nose glaring daggers at each other. Tsunade noticed Sakura and smiled.

"Oh, Sakura, perfect timing." She said, sitting back down and lacing her fingers in front of her and resting her nose on them.

"Tsunade-sama, before I call Hidan in, I would like to mention that Hidan hasn't really…spoken since we dug him up. Well, he did once but it was only two words," she said quietly to the Hokage. Tsunade frowned at this before speaking.

"Thank you for telling me this, Sakura. You can call him in now." Sakura nodded.

"Hidan!" she called. He stepped in and stood next to Sakura.

"Ah, Hidan. It's good to see you're doing well" she said moving aside a few papers from the mountain that surrounded her desk. Hidan unconsciously began fiddling with some of the stitches around his wrist. Tsunade seemed a bit troubled by his silence, but let it slide for now.

"Anyways—, Naruto you are dismissed" she said, giving the said man a pointed glare.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, baa-chan" he said before he disappeared in a poof of smoke. Tsunade sighed.

"I swear that boy and his shadow clones will be the death of me," she said, leaning back in her chair. She rubbed her temples and sighed.

"Anyways, Hidan…" she said. She dug around in her desk for a few moments. "Would you like to become an official shinobi of Konohagakure?" she asked as she produced a Lead forehead protector. Hidan looked shocked for a second before he wordlessly took the headband and tied it around his neck.

"Good. I'll take care of the paperwork and your standard shinobi outfit will be ready within the week, got it?" she said. Hidan nodded.

"Oh, and Sakura..." she said. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Did I do something wrong? I know that tone..." she said suspiciously. Tsunade smirked.

"You were at work yesterday."

"Tsunade-shishou, I don't-"

"I told you to devote yourself to Hidan's rehabilitation. I'm letting you take a vacation from the hospital."

"What?! Tsunade-!"

"This discussion is over."

"Tsunade-shishou!"

Tsunade ignored her and focused on her paperwork.

"Dismissed."

"GAH!" Sakura threw up her hand in exasperation before wheeling around and storm out of the room. Hidan watched he before bowing to the Hokage and leaving.

_"Well...that was fast..."_

* * *

"Great. Just fan-fucking-tastic. Now I'm stuck with you swenty-four-seven! This _sucks!_" Sakura grumbled as they left the tower. He remained silent and let his violet-eyed gaze wander around. He was torn from his thoughts by Sakura's hand waving in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to Hidan, come in Hidan." she said. Hidan batted her hand away and gave her an annoyed look. Sakura scowled and crossed her arms.

"No need to get snippy, I was just asking if you wanted to get something to eat." she said. Hidan's previous annoyance faded away with a long sigh before he nodded. She waved her hand in a gesture for him to follow her, and walked towards a ramen stand.

"Ohayo, Teuchi-san!" she said, parting the curtains in front of her. The said ramen chef looked up from washing a bowl and smiled at them.

"Hello Sakura! Is Naruto with you?" he asked, replacing the bowl. Sakura sighed.

"No, unfortunately not. I need something to cheer me up, karma is really coming around to bite my ass today," she said. Teuchi smiled sympathetically.

"Life does that sometimes. Who's your friend?" he asked, nodding at Hidan.

"Hm? Oh, this is Hidan" she said as she sat down.

"I'll have a beef ramen, is beef alright with you?" she asked him. He nodded and rested his elbows on the counter. In minutes, Ayame set two bowls in front of them.

"Arigato!" Sakura said. Hidan silently broke his chopsticks and began to eat his ramen. They finished relatively quickly. Well, faster than Naruto at least. Sakura paid and they left.

* * *

Sakura unlocked the door to her apartment and walked in, Hidan right behind her.

She sat down on the couch and kicked off her ninja boots, losing her cheery attitude in those few seconds alone. Hidan slid out of his shoes and pushed them out of the way with his foot and took off his hoody and laid it on the couch.

As he walked past Sakura, she noticed him picking at his stitches again. She frowned and sat up from her relaxed position.

"Hey Hidan, come over here for a second" she said, gesturing with her hand. Hidan cocked an eyebrow at her, but complied anyways. She patted the space in front of her and Hidan sat in front of her, facing her.

"Turn around." she said, hands already glowing with chakra. He obliged. She pressed her hands against his back and Hidan felt her chakra wash over him. It raced along his stitches and Hidan watched as lines of green chakra glowed along his pieced-together limbs. After several minutes, the glow faded and her hands left his back. He straightened up and glanced over his shoulder. She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"You're a fast healer; your stitches should be ready to come out in about a week. Tsunade-shishou should know about this." She murmured. She grabbed a small scroll and wrote out a quick note on it. She stood up and walked out the sliding glass door out onto the balcony.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" she bit her thumb and went through a quick chain of handseals. There was a small poof and a small white and blue slug.

"How may I be of service to you, Miss Sakura?" Katsuyu cooed as it bowed. Her voice was gentle and quiet as she spoke.

"Please take this to Lady Hokage" she said, passing her the scroll.

"Yes, Miss Sakura." it said, grasping the message and disappearing with a poof. Hidan watched the whole scene with slight amusement. She was…unexpected, a wild card, someone who would keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what she would do next.

He smirked. Time with this kunoichi would definitely be…interesting.

* * *

**Omake: Go Fish **

"Go fish."

"Again?!"

"Just pick a damn card, Naruto."

"Alright, alright, sheesh, Sakura-chan, I thought this was supposed to be _fun._"

"It will be when you just pick one."

"Oh shut it."

"It's your fault your in the hospital."

"Hey! It was Teme's fault!"

"You tried using that perverted jutsu on him."

"I wanted to see if he was gay!"

"Naruto..."

"What?!"

"Ugh, I think coming here to keep you company was a big mistake."

"No, wait!"

"..."

"..."

"Your turn, Naruto."

"Tch. Do you have a...two?"

"Go fish."

"GAH!"

* * *

**A/N: Done! Ooh, we're starting to see some of the old Hidan! *fangirl squeal* Again, sorry for the long wait, I am currently working on a Cool/powerful Naruto fic, so I am neglecting this one a LOT, but I promise I will see this through to the end! I hate discontinued fics, so it would just be hypocritical if I gave up on this one. **

**Don't think I forgot the poll! And for those of you who actually respond to my polls, I love you. *U***

**Who's your favorite redhead?**

**a) Gaara**

**b) Kushina**

**c) Karui**

**d) Other (there are plenty to choose from ;) )**

**Until next time,**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Corner: Hello, my amazing fans (the few of you). I am just a bucket of injuries today! First, I skid my knee when I fucked up on my Rip-Stick, my whacked my broken pinky on a door (don't ask), I cracked my shin on a stepping stool in Boot Camp (it's like four feet tall) and then I cut my finger cutting avocados for some guacamole. **

**Charming, dare I say?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did, the snake pedo Orochimaru would get his ass HANDED to him by Naruto's awesome ninja skills, and since that hasn't happened, I obviously don't own Naruto -_-" **

* * *

And interesting it was. Especially that next morning.

"Hidan! Rise and shine!" _  
_

Hidan had a very rude introduction with the floor as Sakura tipped his bed to the side, throwing him off of it. He bolted into a sitting position and vigorously rubbed the throbbing lump on his head. He shot her a venomous glare.

"Wakey, Wakey, eggs and bacon!" she said sarcastically. Hidan rubbed his shoulder irritably and his lips pulled down in a sneer. She laughed and put her hands on her hips in a cheery fashion.

"Even though you aren't fully recovered, you've got another thing coming if you think you're not going to be doing anything until your stitches are ready to come out. Hurry and get ready, I booked us a training field for this afternoon. You have thirty minutes." She said before leaving his room. Hidan groaned silently and rubbed his eyes.

_"Why did I get stuck with HER of all people?!" _

* * *

Hidan had to learn the hard way that spending 6 years in hole makes your body and skills go _way _downhill.

"Up...down...up...down..." Sakura said calmly. She sat cross-legged on Hidan's back as he struggled with another push up. She popped another stick on pocky in her mouth, completely at ease.

"We have to reverse how badly your muscles have atrophied, so keep going. Fifteen...sixteen...seventeen..." She said. Hidan would have glared at her if he hadn't been so focused on keeping his shaking arms from collapsing under him. God, was he really only on seventeen?!

"Twenty. Alright, relax." She said finally, hopping off his back and Hidan flopped onto the grass. Sweat poured down his forehead as he attempted to get his breathing under control. It didn't help the it was nearly eighty degrees out either. Sakura tossed him a water bottle, which hit him in the gut. Okay, so his reflexes were shot too. Great. Just fucking great. He downed nearly half of the water bottle before stopping.

"Okay! Break time's over; go hit that log one hundred times." Sakura said. Hidan let his head droop back in a show of annoyance. Sakura grinned as she crunched another pocky stick between her teeth.

"Move it!"

Hidan took his sweet time in pulling himself to his feet and walking over to the practice log. The pinkette chuckled slightly. It was fun bossing an S-rank nin around. She nodded satisfyingly as she saw Hidan start a steady beat in punching the log. She turned to the wooden dummy several feet from where Hidan was working. She narrowed her eyes at the dummy before blurring out of sight. She reappeared behind the dummy and aimed a roundhouse kick at it. She continued disappearing and reappearing at random angles, to strike at the poor dummy.

_"Forty-six...fourty-seven...fourty-eight..." _Hidan paused and glanced over at Sakura. His eyes widened with amazement. She was fast. Like, _fast. _He could barely track her movements as she gave the dummy a royal beat-down.

"CHAA!"

She delivered an ax-kick to the log/dummy and it split down the middle with a loud _crack. _Hidan had to admit he was mildly impressed. She stopped and landed with her back to the destroyed practice dummy. She noticed him staring at her.

"What are you looking at? Get back to work," she said. Hidan smirked before focusing on the log and proceeding to beat it. Sakura crossed her arms and balanced two leaves on her fingers with her chakra. It was a control exercise, but it was child's play for her. She just hated to stand around while she watch Hidan, entertaining though it was. He did have a very fine body, scrawny, weak, and slightly starved though it was. Hidan stopped, and it took a second for Sakura to realize he was done.

"Okay, now that you're done with that, you have one last exercise before we can have lunch. It's a game," she grinned and pulled a kunai from her pouch along with three senbon. "It's called "Dodge the Deadly Flying Projectiles"!" Hidan's eyes widened with fear. Before he knew it, the kunai flew past his face, nicking him on the cheek.

"You won't last long with those reflexes." Hidan whipped to the side as two senbon soared past him and sank into the grass. His feet had barely brushed the ground before a shuriken came hurdling towards him. He twisted to the side and landed on all fours. He saw four more senbon making their way silently through the air towards him.

_"This is gonna be a long day..."_

* * *

The lock clicked and Sakura walked into her apartment, a half-dead Hidan trudging behind her. He massaged his burning muscles, and bit back a groan. He flopped onto the couch and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. His arms wobbled from exhaustion, barely able to support his own weight.

_"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...wait, what?!"_

Hidan felt a wave of coolness wash through his muscles. His head snapped up and he glanced at Sakura. Sitting next to him. With her hands pressed against his back.

"Your lactic acid levels are high. If I leave it, you'll barely be able to walk tomorrow. These are words from experience, sadly." She said, a soft laugh pushing between her teeth. Hidan smirked wryly as the aching pain left his body. When the glow faded, he stretched his arm to the side, feeling a light euphoric feeling that came when it didn't hurt at all.

"Now get to bed, we'll be doing that all day tomorrow, so chop-chop," she muttered. Hidan rolled his eyes and stood up. He walked off towards the hall. He paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder through narrowed eyes. Sakura curled up on the couch, and her shoulders were trembling. For some reason, he felt like doing something. He brushed off the feeling and retreated into the darkness of his bedroom.

* * *

The same nightmare visited him again that night, and again he woke in a cold sweat, feeling sick to his stomach. He gripped his unruly silver hair tightly, trying to distract himself with pain.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.

Training went similar to yesterday's, but it was even harder. She hounded him nonstop, only breaking for a few seconds every hour or so. He really wanted to hate her for drilling him like that, but really, the image from last night prevented him from feeling the lease bit of ill intent towards her.

Sasuke was another matter _entirely._

Hidan flung the kunai at the temporary target. Well, at least he hit it. He had nearly skewered Sakura the first time he tried it. It sank into the wood with a dull thunk. Suddenly, a cold feeling of malice crawled up his spine. He froze as he saw Sakura tensed, balling her hands into fists. Hidan relaxed, an unemotional mask nailing itself onto his face. He turned and faced the source of the unsettling aura.

Ebony black hair that was spiked in the back was held back with a Konoha hitai-ate, and matching cold onyx eyes. Hidan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. It was obvious that there had been a bad experience between them in the past. Hidan couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about Sasuke that put him on edge.

"Sasuke..." she snarled with barely concealed rage. Sasuke placed a hand in his pocket.

"Hello, Sakura-ch-"

"Don't say it, don't _even say it!" _She hissed. Sasuke raised his hands calmly in a show of defense.

"My apologies, I force of an old habit. I came to say hello to your new...friend." There was an audible grit of teeth from Sakura.

"Hidan, Sasuke. Sasuke, Hidan. Now get the _fuck _out of here before I beat the hell from you," she snapped. Sasuke smirked coldly, and it hit Hidan like a ton of bricks; what exactly unnerved him about Sasuke.

It was his cruel indifference.

He couldn't care less about those around him. If he were on a mission, his only goal was to kill his enemies and anyone that got in his way would get eliminated with them. And honestly, it frightened him slightly. It reminded him of...someone. He shook his head to clear it of sudden memories that surfaced in his mind.

"Alright, Saku_ra,_" he enunciated the _ra _in her name to enhance the fact he didn't add "chan". "My business here is done..." suddenly, the back of Hidan's neck tingled furiously. He dove to the side to avoid a kunai launched at him by the Uchiha.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed. Hidan's heart pumped with adrenaline. Sasuke smirked as he placed a hand on his hip.

"You won't get anywhere with those reflexes, Jashinist. You've lost your touch," he said, before vanishing. Sakura darted to Hidan's side.

"He didn't hit you did he?" she said worriedly. Hidan was slightly confused in her change of attitude before brushing it off and shaking his head. She rubbed her forehead and stood up.

"Sorry about that, he's always a douche bag." She muttered bitterly. Hidan almost smirked, but withheld it at the sight of her.

She was holding her arms and trembling slightly, her eyes wide with fear. She clenched her hair with one hand and she sparked with chakra.

"Finish your conditioning," she said. "We'll break early today. I...I need a moment to think."

Hidan didn't question her out loud as he hopped into the nearest tree and found a suitable branch to dangle from and to hanging crunches. Sakura walked off into the surrounding forest and after several seconds, a tree mysteriously toppled.

* * *

When Sakura was healing his exhausted muscles that night, Hidan could feel a white-hot bitterness in her chakra. She kept muttering to herself under her breath, and Hidan was wary around her.

She also seemed strangely scatter-minded. She burned the stir-fry and collided with him near the bathroom.

"OOF!" Sakura bounced off his chest and stumbled over a towel she had missed throwing into the basket. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders to steady her. She looked up and met his eyes. An awkward silence permeated the hall. A pink tint appeared on her cheeks as she coughed lightly and stepped out of his grip.

"Um, thanks...I have stuff to do, so..." she murmured awkwardly. Hidan stepped to the side and gestured for her to go. She scowled and dashed past him and to her room. Hidan watched her go. He frowned in a mix of worry and confusion before stepping into the bathroom to take his shower.

* * *

He let the water wash over him, easing the tense muscles from that day's practice. Sure, she took away the soreness, but the cramps didn't come with a build up of lactic acid. He sighed peacefully as he shut off the water. He toweled himself off and stepped out of the bathroom. He shivered as the cool air from the apartment hit his still-damp skin.

He hurried into his room where changed into a pair of sweat pants and a loose gray shirt. He flopped into bed before sitting up and crossing his legs in a meditative position. It didn't help the nightmares, but it made them less clarified. Less painful. The familiar fog of a trance was beginning to creep up on his mind when he heard a knock on his door. He opened his eyes and grunted in approval.

She opened the door and her distinctive pink hair stood out in the dark room.

"Hidan? You still awake?" she whispered. Hidan ran a hand through his hair and waved her in. She opened it and stepped in. She didn't let go of the doorknob, and leaned against it.

"Um, about what happened...I feel like I have to apologize for snapping today. And a lot of other times. I was rude and irrational and you haven't really done anything to deserve it. So...sorry." She said meekly. Hidan straightened up with a sense of surprise and a sliver of something he couldn't place. This was certainly a change of attitude. And not necessarily unwelcome.

He smirked and closed his eyes. He waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. He heard a loud release of breath from the kunoichi.

"Thanks." she said. She stood up straight and Hidan attempted to get back into a comfortable position. Sakura paused on her way out the door. She looked back at Hidan, who raised an eyebrow in an unasked question.

"Are the nightmares still bothering you?" she asked. Hidan had an urge to shake his head 'no'. But another gruesome image flashed through his head. He gritted his teeth. Hidan would do anything to get rid of the awful memories that plagued him. He hadn't had enough sleep in the entire week or so he had been there, and it was really draining him. After a moment, he nodded. She scratched her cheek in a thoughtful manner.

"If you want, I could send you into a dreamless sleep. Stimulate the brain to block any images for tonight. It's up to you," she said. Hidan perked up slightly at the suggestion of a remedy. Almost eagerly, he nodded again. She covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

"Alright then." She tip-toed over silently and sat on the bed near the headboard. She crossed her legs and patted her lap.

"Lay down, it'll make this easier," she said. Hidan blinked before hesitantly resting his head in her lap. She adjusted herself slightly before placing two fingers softly on his temples. He felt her fingertips grow warm as she gently pushed her chakra into his head, traveling along the veins and pathways in his brain. Her watched as she focused on him.

Her sharp green eyes prodded him, unrelated to the energy invading his brain. It was an intense gaze, and yet a soft one. Hidan couldn't remember ever being looked at with anything but hateful glares, or the fear in the eyes of his old victims. They traveled over his face, an almost childish curiosity on her face. An almost-ancient memory pricked at the back of his head. Before he could focus on it, he felt a soft prick behind his eyes.

"Found it!" Sakura cheered lightly before every faded out and his eyes dropped shut.

* * *

**Omake: Oh, Smooth move, Ex-lax **

"Shut up Tenten, I got this," Sakura said. She put another foot in front of her on the slender branch. In a strange exercise put together by Kakashi and Gai, they had to cross a "bridge" over a mud puddle. Without chakra. Naruto had failed, but of course, being the perfect ninja he was, had gotten by without getting a speck of dirt on him.

"That is the spirit, Sakura-chan! Yosh, your youth burns brightly today!" Lee yelled, striking a pose. Sakura rolled her eyes, but stopped as she wobbled. She took another step and cheered in her head. So far, so good.

Another step, good, step, wobble, step, step, wobble, step. She neared the end and smiled widely.

"See? Told ya Tenten!" She yelled over her shoulder.

"DON'T MESS UP!" Tenten yelled suddenly, startling Sakura out of her concentration. She wobbled, her foot slipped and she toppled off the branch and into the mud.

_Splat! _

Naruto and Tenten burst out laughing and even Neji smirked slightly.

"DAMN IT TENTEN!"

Tenten then spent the rest of the afternoon being chased by a raging, mud-covered, pink-haired, kunoichi.

* * *

**Author's Corner: For my old fans who read the other (cruddier, plotless, poorly-written) version of this story will definitely notice some differences. For one, SASUKE WILL NOT BE A DOUCHE BAG! Sure, he own't be very likeable, but considering SasuSaku is one of my favorite pairings, I can't come to dis him as much as I did in the other version of this story.**

**To all Sasuke haters, sorry.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy the late update. I finished this at like 10:00 at night on a school night where I have to be up at 4:30. Fucking YAY!  
**

**Edit: I FORGOT YOUR POLL! **

**Favorite Blonde?**

**a) Naruto**

**b) Tsunade**

**c) Temari**

**d) Other, I think there's only one... *cough* Ino *cough***

**So yeah, **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Corner: Good evening, my lovelies, how are you today? Heh, why would I care, you all all beneath me! *EVIL LAUGH* I am super hyped up on the Loki-fangirl-jitters, and NOT THE LOKI FROM THE AVENGERS! (even though Tom Hiddleston is a sexy beast ;D) If any of you have read the second book of the Trylle series, you know who I'm talking about XD. Because WendyxLoki is another one of my OTP's (I HAVE MANY SO SHUT UP!)**

**Besides my fangirl-y ranting, I am seriously pissed off right now. An attention whore at my school BROUGHT A FUCKING GUN! He got caught before he could do anything, but from what I heard, he was planning on blowing his brains out in the middle of class. I _would _have sympathy for him, because he was depressed enough to want to kill himself, but really, that kid was just asking to be picked on. He was a total douche bag before this...**

**So, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Although, I would totally ask him out for ramen if he didn't belong to Hinata TT^TT**

* * *

"But Tsunade-shisou, it's been three whole months, why can't he move out yet?!" Sakura whined. Tsunade closed her eyes in irritation.

"Has he spoken yet?" she asked. Sakura faltered, and hung her head.

"No."

"Have you sparred with him yet?"

"What does that have to do with-?!"

"_Have you sparred with him?!"_

"No ma'am."

"Until he can fight to a draw with you, I do not consider him to be in tip-top condition."

"Tsunade-shishooooou! I want my job back!"

Tsuande would have smirked at Sakura's childish behavior if she hadn't been so irritated. She rubbed her temples, despretly wishing for some sake. A lot of good, strong, sake.

"Sakura, he can go off on his own when I know he can hold his own against a shinobi of your par." She said in a reasonable voice. Sakura sighed dramatically and hung her head.

"Yes ma'am," she said glumly before bowing and walking out the door of the Hokage office. She burst out of the doors of the building, steaming with annoyance. Hidan pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and followed after her, albeit at a distance.

"Come on, we're going to the field," she grumbled. Hidan sighed, but complied.

* * *

"Duck."

Hidan flipped back as the kunai sailed over his head. A shuriken came at him from behind, only to collide with a log. He appeared a few feet away. Sakura nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, work on your aim for a while. I'll be watching." She said. Hidan pulled some kunai out of his pouch and threw one at a target, and it hit dead center. Sakura smiled slightly. She watched him while he continuously hit the bulls-eye. Her gaze was focused and calculating as she studied him. Eventually, she set her strawberry-flavored pocky down and stood up.

"Fight me." She said. He paused and regarded her warily.

"I want to see how well you fare against a kunoichi of my level. I want a spar." She said calmly. Hidan pocketed the kunai he hand been about to throw. He nodded. He watched her brush pocky crumbs off her red battle kimono. Her pink and black hair fell over her shoulder as she tied it into her usual braid. She looked at him and smirked.

"What are you waiting for? Attack!" She commanded. Hidan shrugged and lurched forward and pulled his fist back. He caught a flash of her grin as she used a surprising show of speed and dashed behind him. He ducked the swipe of her kunai, and dropped into a squat and swung his leg around, attempting to knock her off her feet. She danced back, and stood on the defense.

"Too slow, pick up you speed," she commented. Hidan dashed forward again and feinted to the left before making a roundhouse kick to the right. Sakura blocked it, and retaliated with a swift backhand to his chin. He hopped back and wiped a trickle of blood from his chin.

"When you fight medical nin like me, feints won't always work. Brute strength isn't an option either. What's left?" she questioned. Hidan blinked before putting his hands together in a seal, and a clone poofed into existence. She smiled again and winked. Hidan found his lips curling up in a smirk. He charged again. Both Hidans curved to the side, and attempted to attack her from behind. She nearly flattened herself to the ground, before swiping out with both hands at their feet. Hidan's clone dispelled.

Hidan threw a punch forward, but stopped inches from her face. He moved his hand away. Sakura watched it for a counter attack. Too late, she realized the distraction technique. Hidan shot his other hand forward and hit her hard in the chest with his palm. She slid back, but gripped his wrist.

"If you wan't to beat me, you have to use something better than that. Don't go easy just 'cause I'm a girl," she said. Hidan felt his wrist crack as she broke it. He bit back a curse and retreated several yards. He held his wrist and went over other tactics in his head. It wasn't his dominant hand, but it still hindered him greatly. He sighed and opened his eyes again.

"Tick-tock, Hidan. Most enemies won't give you time to come up with a plan," she said with a teasing tone in her voice. She dashed forward again, and Hidan played the don't-get-hit-by-the-flying-fist game. He tucked his arm behind his back to avoid jostling it, and blocked an ax-kick with one hand. Luckily, his bones held. He switched his grip and latched onto her ankle. Her eyes widened fractionally, and Hidan twisted her in the air. She attempted to maneuver herself, and managed to land on one foot instead of her back. Hidan grinned and swept her feet out from under her while she was off balance. She substituted herself with a log, and appeared a few feet to his left.

She was panting, but grinning at the same time.

"Good. Make use of your surroundings." She said. She darted towards him again and pulled out three senbon. She threw them and advanced while he dodged. He cursed as pain shot through his wrist, momentarily distracting him. She grinned triumphantly as she jumped and did a spinning kick and nailed Hidan in the jaw. He hit the dirt and Sakura immediately pinned him with a knee on his bicep, and her foot on his uninjured wrist. She braced her arm against his neck and grinned.

"Yield."

Hidan smirked and flexed his unbroken hand in a symbol of surrender. Sakura tucked a stray pink hair behind her ear as she stood up and offered him her hand. He stared at it for a second.

"Come on, let me fix your wrist," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't bite." Now it was Hidan's turn to roll his eyes. He wrapped his good hand around hers and she yanked him to his feet with ease, despite him being around 130 pounds. He had suspicions that she was holding back in that spar.

"Come over here, I'm feeling lazy all the sudden." She smiled. Hidan's eyes widened. Her smile was soft, not the wry smirks or cocky grins from before. It seemed almost warm...not meant for someone like him.

She sat down under the shade of the oak and beckoned for him to sit too. He sat down under the tree, and released his iron grip on his wrist. She gently brushed her fingers over the injury. She used her hand as a support for his as her hands hovered over it. She chakra flowed into her hand and surrounded his wrist. It sank into his wrist, mending the bone and soothing the pain. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose.

"Done. Sorry about that, I suppose it was a little overboard." She said, rubbing the back of her neck. Hidan rolled his wrist around, slightly impressed that he felt no pain, or stiffness.

"We can take the rest of the day off," she snapped Hidan from his musings. "Do you wanna get some lunch? It's on me today." Hidan smirked wryly and nodded. She grinned, her face morphing back into her cocky mask. Hidan nearly grimaced. He didn't like it.

Because it reminded him of what he used to do.

* * *

"Damn, I'm out of milk. And eggs. And ramen. Gah! Dammit Naruto, stop infecting me with your ramen obsession!" Sakura grumbled as she peered into the fridge. Hidan smirked from where he was sitting on the couch, sharpening his kunai. She sighed as she shut the fridge.

"Hey Hidan, get dressed into something normal. We're going to the market, you got ten minutes," she said, as she headed for her room. Hidan carefully put his kunai into his pouch before following Sakura's lead and going to his room.

He changed into a pair of black pants and a black shirt and left his room. Sakura had already changed into a tan skirt and a red shirt with a circle on her back and was peering into the fridge, taking stock of their food.

"Alright, I think that's everything." She murmured to herself, oblivious to Hidan who was leaning on the door frame and watching her curiously. She had pulled her hair back into a high ponytail instead of a braid and she was missing her pouch.

"Okay, let's go, Hidan," she muttered, apparently not the oblivious. Hidan smirked and stood up straight to let her pass. Sakura brushed her bangs behind her ear, and picked up her purse.

"Alright, tomatoes; check," Sakura said. Hidan walked beside her, a bag of groceries clung over one shoulder and the other one shoved in his pocket. Sakura stared at her list.

"Alright, all that's left is...what the...?" she muttered. She looked up, a groggy and distant look in her eyes. Hidan stared at her in confusion. She stopped and swayed slightly. Hidan snapped his fingers in front of her face. She blinked and her eyes came into focus again. Suddenly, she smiled brightly and pocketed the list.

"Ayumu, I know your there!" she called out. Hidan only grew more bewildered. Suddenly, a little boy of about five or six crashed into her legs and clung onto them tightly.

"Aw, how'd you know, Saku-nee-chan?! Momma says I'm getting good!" Ayumu said happily. Sakura smiled. Hidan stared. There it was again, that soft smile, and yet it was tinged with sadness. She patted Ayumu's head and laughed.

"I almost didn't notice it, you are getting better!" she praised. The child laughed.

"Ayumu, I thought I told you to stay by my side," said a playful voice behind. Sakura froze, the smile slipping from her face faster than ice down a smooth slope. Hidan had a feeling he didn't want to turn around. So what did he do?

Turn around, of course.

Kurenai's ruby red eyes went wide.

Everything froze, and the temperature dropped several degrees.

"Ayumu, come here," she said. Ayumu frowned in confusion.

"But-!"

"Now!" she snapped. Ayumu's confusion changed to fear. His mom never used that tone. He let go of Sakura's legs and trotted over to Kurenai. A very bad feeling settled into Hidan's gut.

"Sakura..." she said, and her previous anger faded as she covered her mouth and tears pricked at her eyes. The feeling in his gut tripled.

"Um, Kurenai-san, we need to talk."

* * *

Hidan pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers as things were explained to him. Asuma, Ayumu, his relation to Kurenai. Sakura looked exceedingly uncomfortable the whole time, as she was acting as an intermediary. She did most of the talking and Kurenai was looking at Hidan with a strange mix of fear, hate, and anger.

Hidan refused to meet her eyes the entire time, favoring instead to note the details on the wooden table they were sitting at in a small cafe. Frankly, Kurenai didn't want to see his fuchsia orbs anyways.

"Um...that's all there is to tell, Kurenai-san...but I think he really has-!" Sakura paused when Hidan raised his hand, motioning for her to be quiet. For the first time, he raised his eyes to meet hers.

And spoke.

"Sorry won't cover it, I know that. And nothing I do or say is going to change that. But I can give you my word that I have changed since...then." He intertwined his fingers, propped up on my elbows on the table, and rested his nose on them. Sakura stared at Hidan in wonder. Even Kurenai's crimson eyes widened slightly. Then the surprise vanished and she smiled lightly.

"Alright. I'm not one to hold grudges anyways," she said. Hidan sighed lightly as a huge weight he didn't know he had was lifted from his chest. Sakura gave an even bigger sigh and grinned.

"Good. I'm glad you understand Kurenai-san," she said politely. She and Kurenai talked for a few more minutes before she decided it was a good time to leave, as the sun was beginning to set.

Hidan matched his steps with Sakura as they walked towards he apartment with him. After a moment of comfortable silence, Sakura decided to break it.

"That was really something back there." She commented. Hidan snorted loudly. Sakura frowned and whacked him on the arm.

"I'm serious! I'm...I'm really proud of you Hidan..." she murmured. Hidan's eyes widened and he risked a glance down at her petite form. Her cheeks were glowing pink, but whether it was from the setting sun of embarrassment, he couldn't quite tell.

* * *

**Omake: What? **

Sakura stoked the fire and tossed another branch into it. She wiped her brow, still exhausted from her last fight. She was on an A-ranked mission with Shikamaru to "take care of" some rouge ninja in the land of Sweets. She sighed.

"Hurry up, Shikamaru!" she yelled. She heard splashing water, and Shikamaru called back, "Alright, relax Sakura, I'm getting out." Sakura rolled her eyes. She was waiting for Shikamaru to finish washing up in the creek so she could take care of her own personal hygiene.

"Creek's all yours," he muttered from behind her. Sakura whirled on her partner.

"About damn t-!" Her voice failed her as she got a good look at Shikamaru. A was wearing black pants...and nothing else. He was bare from the chest up. He had a towel around his neck and his normally-tied-up brown hair fell around his shoulders. He caught her staring at him with lazy brown eyes.

"What?"

* * *

**Author's Corner: Don't you have those days where nothing EVER goes fucking right?**

**Yep, welcome to my LIFE!**

**But seriously, my fish just died TT^TT Nemo, you will be missed. **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Corner: My lovelies, I want to propose a very awesome contest for you guys. If anyone wants to have their OWN OC put into _The Cherry Blossom and the Immortal, _they can! Just send in a bio looking like this:**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Gender:**

**Sexual Orientation:**

**Hair Color:**

**Eye Color:**

**Outfit:**

**Abilities:**

**Clan (if any):**

**Good or Bad?:**

**Or just switch a few things around if I forgot anything or if you want your character to be entered as a civilian, or something. You have to be a registered user on , so I can write down your username and be able to send you a PM telling you that you won.**

**Requirements:**

**1) Must be original**

**2) No super-godly characters**

**3) Can't be involved in a romance with any cannon characters**

**4) NO SPAMMING ME**

**5) Have fun!**

**Well, after that extremely long Author's note, you can just move right along. And if I'm violating any rule, or something, could someone tell me? My heart would break if this got removed.**

**Disclaimer: You guys own your OC's, and I own Tatsuki and Ninja O's, but I don't own Naruto. At all.**

* * *

"Haha, YES! I get my job back!" Sakura cheered, jumping up. Hidan smirked as he watched her cheer loudly. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Alright, alright, Sakura. But now, you have a mission. I take Hidan has recovered enough to take on a B-ranked mission?" She said. Now it was Hidan's turn to scowl. B-ranked? Come on, that's insulting.

"Of course he can. _I _trained him, after all," she said. Hidan sighed and shifted his weight to his right foot. He had flexible black pants on, a black shirt with a red swirl on his right bicep under a green flak jacket. His forehead protector was tied around his neck, and his hair was slicked back in his normal fashion. Tsunade smirked. She pulled a scroll from her desk drawer, and tossed it at Hidan. Sakura felt slightly insulted at that.

"I need you to escort a noble back to the Land of Iron. His original escort had been called back due to an unexpected illness. He is a very important political figure, and I need you to keep him safe. Tatsuki and Haku will be going with you," She explained as Hidan scanned over the contents in the scroll.

"Wait, _four guards?!" _Sakura butted in. "Shouldn't this be an A-ranked mission if he needs four jonin excorts?" Tsunade shook her head.

"No, Mifune was very stingy about that. You leave in two days." Hidan rolled the scroll up again and pocketed it. He nodded and bowed. Tsunade nodded and Sakura turned around and left with Sakura trailing behind him. Sakura clasped her hand behind her back as she kept pace with him.

"Yay. Now I have my apartment to myself again," she said. Hidan noticed the lack of enthusiasm. He grinned and leaned slightly to the left, as to get closer.

"Admit it, you'd miss me," he said. Sakura jumped and punched his arm.

"I-I would not!" she sputtered. Hidan laughed as Sakura scowled. Hidan rubbed the back of his neck and a smirk lingered on his lips as he looked up at the sky.

He had gotten better with speaking in the past two weeks, ever since apologizing to Kurenai, though he rarely spoke more than three whole sentences in a day.

His skills had also sky-rocketed. He began getting into practicing with his scythe again, and his skills had improved vastly. He had also began tapping into his immortality. Turns out, even though he didn't make sacrifices to Jashin anymore, somehow, he had retained his immortality. Everyone was quite happy with that, but Hidan had seemed troubled.

Sakura stretched her hands towards the sky.

"Since we've got a whole two days to kill, how about we go down to the training fields and spar?" Sakura suggested. Hidan grinned and nodded. Sakura tensed.

"Last one there has to make dinner!" She said, before taking off down the road. Hidan snorted before heading after her. She knew she would never beat him with speed, but strength was another matter entirely. Sakura laughed as Hidan caught up with her and was now even with her.

"Oh, no you don't!" She said. She channeled chakra into her feet and blasted forward, leaving Hidan to maneuver himself through a small crater. His lips turned up as he saw he slowly getting ahead of him. He leaped up and took to the rooftops. It wasn't long until he hopped down, several feet in front of her.

"Hey, no fair!" Sakura yelled. Hidan turned and gave her a cheeky grin before saluting her playfully and putting on a burst of speed. He only had to wait for a few seconds at the training field before Sakura appeared in front of him, panting. She smiled before bending down and touching her toes.

"That was a nice warm up. Would you like soup or salad, O speedy one?" she said playfully as she continued to stretch. Hidan shrugged. Sakura rolled her eyes and walked towards the middle of the field, and Hidan followed. She turned to face him.

"So, no ninjutsu or genjutsu, just taijutsu. Weapons allowed. And...go." She said. She vanished from his sights, and he smirked before bracing his arm to the left, blocking her kick. He wheeled on her and she used his hand as leverage to flip back. She pulled a kunai from her pouch and Hidan grabbed one from his. He didn't like using his scythe against her, but she forced him to sometimes.

They clashed, nearly nose-to-nose. A feral grin spread across his face. He swung his leg around, attempting to knock her off her feet. It didn't work, and she used the momentum from her jumped to prop a hand on his shoulder and do a pirouette. She laughed merrily as she did three back handsprings and skid to a stop. Hidan spun around to face her and grinned again.

They dashed at each other. Sakura threw a punch and Hidan caught it and twisted it in an attempt to pin it behind her back. Sakura slipped out of his grip and aim another punch at his gut. Hidan struck the side of her arm and it was thrown off course. Unfazed, she tried to do an uppercut to his chin. He smacked that out of the way too and retaliated with a high kick. She dodged and threw four more punches, all of which were blocked.

Soon, they both threw punches and were locked with their Hidan's left fist in Sakura's right and vice versa. It was down to brute strength now and Hidan knew he only had seconds before he was overpowered by her. He smirked as an idea came to mind.

Without warning, he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her nose. Her eyes went wide and her grip went weak. He easily kicked her feet out from under her and pinned her on the ground with his hands on her wrists. He had his knees braced on either side of her hips and he was hovering inches above her. Her face was flushed bright pink to match her hair and she didn't talk for several seconds.

"You cheated." She grumbled. There was a mischievous glint in his violet eyes and a cocky smirk on his face.

"Did not. I won, fair and square. Let's see that makes twenty-eight to one." He said. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Who's counting?"

"Not me, obviously," he said sarcastically. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I surrender. Would you mind getting off of me now?" she said. Hidan gave her a crooked smile and released her wrists and stood up. She propped herself on her elbows and glared half-heartedly at him. He cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" He said. She shook her head and decided to stare at an intriguing patch of grass to his right. He rolled his eyes and held out his hand to her. She blinked before scowling and grabbing it, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Thanks." she muttered. Hidan shrugged innocently.

* * *

"Chakra pills; check. Water bottles; check. Rations; check. Blankets; check. Extra kunai and shuriken; check. Paper bombs; check. Medical kit, check. Tent; check. Toiletries; check, and double check. Alright, I think that's everything. Let's get going Hidan, we're supposed to meet the noble at the gates in a few minutes, along with Naruto and Haku." Sakura said as she shouldered her back and Hidan finished checking his supplies also.

Sakura locked the door behind her and left a slip of paper in the door, so if anyone decided to go into her apartment, she would know when she got back.

She nodded at Hidan and they vanished in a burst of speed.

* * *

"I wonder how someone like you could have possibly made it to ANBU level. You are a dimwitted moron."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD?!"

"Does your slow mind need me to repeat it, you idiot?"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!"

"Tatsuki-san, please, calm down!"

"I wouldn't bother, Miss, he is obviously a complete idiot."

"..."

"Dude, you did _not _just call Haku a girl...did you?"

Sakura jumped off a roof and walked into a very odd scene. Tatsuki was looking fearfully at Haku, who was oozing a dark killer intent. Sakura looked at the noble. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.

The "very important political figure" was only about fifteen. He had long black hair tied into a high ponytail, a fancy white shirt tucked into black pants and black sandals. Sakura hung her head in exasperation. This was not going to be an easy mission. Having to put up with someone like _him, _that is.

"Haku, calm down." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Even though he was now 26, Haku had barely changed his style. He wore a creme colored shirt, much like Neji used to, navy blue pants and ninja sandals. Haku stopped glaring at the noble and switched his gaze to Sakura.

"Yes, sorry Sakura-sama," he said. Sakura flicked her eyes to the noble quickly at the noble, then back at him, and rolled her eyes. Haku winked in understanding.

"Alright, mister, what's your name?" She asked cheerfully. The noble looked at her in disgust.

"It's proper to give your own names first, peasants," he said nonchalantly, looking at his fingernails. Sakura tensed, a fake smile plastered on his face. Hidan, Haku, and Tatsuki looked at her fearfully. Shudders went up and down their spines as Sakura leaked a small amount of her very potent killer intent. The noble still seemed unfazed. Sakura counted to ten in her head to get her temper under control.

"My name's Sakura Haruno. This is Tatsuki Ryujin, Haku, and Hidan," gesturing to each of them in turn. The noble glanced up from his fingernails for an instant.

"Hirohito," he grunted. Sakura's eye twitched. She was so going to blow her top soon. She'll give him a ten second head start. Run mousy boy, run.

"Chill, Pinky, we only have to deal with him for a few days." Sakura felt a strong hand on her shoulder Hidan's breath tickled her ears as he leaned in to whisper to her. She scowled fiercely.

"Right. I can do this. Just a couple of days." She repeated to herself. Hidan smirked as he straightened up. Now Tatsuki and Haku were both staring at him incredulously. Hidan shrugged silently. They shook their heads.

"Whatever, let's get going. We aren't getting close to the Land of Iron just standing around here," Tatsuki said, turning on heel and walking out of the gates. Hirohito rolled his eyes, shoved his hands in his pockets, and followed after him. Haku, Hidan, and Sakura followed after.

* * *

Twenty minutes. _Twenty minutes._

"I'm bored." Hirohito complained. There was another sharp spike of killer intent. All of them jumped through the trees, Hirohito making it _quite _obvious that he could handle traveling at a comfortable pace, by ninja standards. At least they wouldn't have to walk the whole way, that would mean almost a whole week stuck with him.

"The hell you want me to do about it?" Tatsuki said, digging around in his ear with his pinky. Hirohito rolled his eyes.

"Entertain me of course. You have to, Mifune-sama is paying for quality ninja to escort me, I expect entertainment," he said. Sakura clenched her fist.

"Tough luck, man, we're just required to get you there safely, we don't have to do anything you tell us to," he said, picking a glob of something out of his ear. Tatsuki sniffed it before flicking it into the nearby foliage. He jumped off another branch, and ducked a low hanging branch.

"Duck," he called lazily over his shoulder. Every but Hirohito ducked, who got the shit end of the stick and crashed into the branch at the waist, stopping him dead. The air left his air in a giant _whoosh _and slipped off and fell to the ground.

"This kid is gonna be the death of me..." Tatsuki muttered as he ricocheted off a tree branch and shot down to grab the stuck-up noble before he fell to the harsh ground. Haku and Sakura groaned as they paused and dropped down next to Naruto, who was slapping Hirohito's face to get him to wake up.

"We are never going to get to the Land of Iron like this," Haku commented wearily.

* * *

**Omake: TAKE THAT BACK!**

"I want it!"

"Naruto, give it here!"

"It's MY coupon, Konohamaru, give it back!"

"I saw it first!"

"Finders; keepers, losers; weepers!"

"Jerk!"

"Numb nuts!"

"Baka!"

"Blonde!"

"Moron!"

"My grandma can throw a kunai better than you!"

"If my dog had a face like yours, I'd shave his ass and teach him to walk backwards!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Give! It! _Back!_"

"NO!"

"I hope you step on a lego in the dark!"

"-gasp- TAKE THAT BACK, YOU...you SCUM-SUCKING PIG!"

"Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Just give the fucking coupon, Konohamaru."

"No."

"DAMN IT!"

* * *

**Wow, fast updates, am I right? How I'm getting these done, I do not know. You should be thankful, I could be reading Ascend right now (Trylle trilogy).**

**But whatever. I forgot to do this last chapter, I think!**

**Favorite Bijuu:**

**a) Kurama **

**b) Shukaku**

**c) Gyuki**

**d) Other, have fun :P**

**I hope I get some replies with you OC's!**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews last chapter! I got some very nice OC's submissions, THANK YOU! Just a head's up, I'll be closing the pool at chapter 13, so if it's not done by then, tough noogies. But be warned, I might extend it or shorten it, depending on where it takes me. :D Oh, and I switched Naruto with Tatsuki, by the way. It fits better with what I have in mind.**

**Naruto: "Don't forget the disclaimer, Kaya-chan!"**

**Me: "Oh, yeah! Oops, when was the last time I did a disclaimer? Don't answer that, I don't want to know"**

**Sasuke: "Tch. Typical" **

**Me: "I'm choosing to ignore you" *mutters* "Bastard"**

**Sasuke: "Hey—" **

**Me: "SHUT UP! You're going to make me forget to do the disclaimer!" *knocks him unconscious* "Thank Kami"**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Naruto :'(**

Hidan could not believe this. _Could. Not. _BELIEVE this!

On the first night of the their trip, Hirohito refused to eat the food offered to him, complaining that it "wasn't of his class". He said he preferred fresh caviar. Next, he had complained this feet hurt, and Haku ended up having to carry him, as his temper was the only one out of the group that wouldn't snap. Then he got wanted a tent all to himself, so Hidan and Sakura had been squished into a tent meant for two people. (Cough cough blush)

Finally, he had gone out and gotten himself _kidnapped. _Wandering out in the middle of the night because he was bored, Tatsuki couldn't help him because his attackers had knocked him unconscious. Needless to say, all of them had been furious.

"Stupid..." Sakura hissed as she jumped off a branch. "Noble..." she jumped off another branch. "Getting..." another branch. "Caught..." she almost broke the last branch.

"Chill out, Pinky. You can go nuts after we get there." Hidan said. Sakura tossed him a glare, but Hidan just rolled his eyes.

Haku resisted the urge to face palm at the pair's bickering. He opened his eyes after a sigh. Then he frowned. They had been travelling for nearly an hour, yet they hadn't run into a single ninja yet. There had to be traps soon. He began scanning the area and spotted a nearly invisible trap wire...and Sakura was heading right for it.

"Sakura-sama! Watch out!" he went to grab her, but Hidan had seen the moonlight glint off the trip wire and had already shot forward to intercept her.

"Sakura!"

Too late.

"What the-?!"

Hidan grabbed her wrist, just as she pulled the trip wire. There was an elastic zing and a metel net flew at him. On instinct, he yanked her closer and wrapped his arms around her protectively just as the net slammed into them with surprising force. Sakura was crushed against his chest, her hands pinned between them, pressed against his chest.

It slammed them into a tree and wrapped around it. There was a small click as a lock pinned them in place.

"Oh, dammit, that stings!" Hidan groaned. And then he realized the position they were in.

Chest-to-chest.

Pinned against a tree.

Very, very tightly.

"Sakura-san! Hidan-san! Are you two alright?!" Haku asked, as he landed on the nearest branch. Tatsuki soon came after.

"Does it look like we're okay?! Just get us the hell out of here!" Sakura hissed. Hidan shifted uncomfortably. Her breasts were pressed against his chest and one of her knees was wedged between his legs.

This was very awkward indeed.

"Oh dear," muttered Haku as he scratched his head. Tatsuki just sat with his mouth hanging open.

"Guys!" she whined. Tatsuki shook his head, and jumped over, sticking to the tree with his chakra. He pulled out a kunai, and hacked at the chains. They clanged off, but barely left a scratch.

"It's not doing any good," Tatsuki called over his shoulder. Sakura bit her lip nervously. Every moment they wasted was a moment that allowed their enemies to get further off with Hirohito. While they hated the kid, it was their mission to get him to the Land of Iron safely.

"It might take a while, but I think I can pick the lock..." He murmured to himself.

"How long is a while?" Sakura asked suspiciously. Haku tapped his chin, almost sheepishly.

"Maybe fifteen minutes. This isn't your average lock. But not your average lock picker," he said, smiling lightly.

"What?!" Sakura yelled. "I don't wanna be stuck with him!" She jerked her head at the silver-haired shinobi, as her hands were currently useless.

"Ooh, Sakura and Hidan, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-!" Tatsuki began to sing.

"SHUT IT TATSUKI!" Hidan and Sakura both snapped. He flinched at the amount of killer intent being directed at him.

"Alright, alright, it was just a joke! Jeez, you guys act like it's some big deal!" he said. Hidan could practically feel the rage rolling off the emerald-eyed kunoichi pinned against him.

"Hold on, I'll get to work." Haku said, trying to calm her down. Sakura sighed and nodded. Haku summoned a needle no thicker than a hair and began wiggling it inside the lock. He changed it to fit the inside of the metal device, but it had to be extremely narrow, so the needle kept breaking at the slightest sudden movement.

Sakura looked up at Hidan, who didn't look any happier. She puffed a stray hair out of her eyes. Haku cursed softly as the needle snapped again. Hidan glanced at her, a cool and even look on his face.

"Sorry," she muttered, averting her gaze. Hidan cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"I should have seen the trip wire, and because of my inattention, now we're both stuck here and the Noble is getting further away." She explained. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't matter," he said. Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

Hidan just grinned slyly in response. Sakura flushed pink.

"Oh, forget it." She grumbled. Hidan's chest heaved slightly as he suppressed light chuckles. Sakura stuck her tongue out him childishly. Hidan smirked. If he were any other person, it would be so easy to take advantage of her right now...

He blinked in shock. He shook his head and banished the naughty thoughts from his head, but they lingered in the back of his mind.

_Click!_

"Got it," Haku declared. Hidan and Sakura jumped apart as fast as they could and landed on separate trees. Sakura straightened her battle kimono and readjusted the black cloth it was held closed by. Hidan brushed his pants off and Tatsuki leaped up.

"Yes! Now we can go get those bastards!" he yelled determinedly. Haku nodded and ran off after the ninja that had taken Hirohito.

* * *

"There they are..." Sakura whispered, parting the foliage.

A small camp lay below, with about twenty tents and a few people lingering around.

"Where's Hirohito?" Tatsuki whispered. There was silence as four pairs of eyes searched the camp, looking for their charge.

"There," Hidan pointed out. The others followed his gaze, and sure enough, Hirohito sat bound to a tree in the north-west part of the camp, with two gaurds. Haku motioned for the four of them to follow him. They hopped several feet from the camp, as not be overheard.

"We need a plan," Tatsuki said, a bit louder now that they weren't as close to the camp.

"He's right, if those are even moderately trained ninja down there, we'll need a strategy," Haku replied.

"One of us could cause a distraction, and we could get him out of there relatively easily," Sakura offered. Tatsuki grinned.

"Sound good. I'll be the distraction," he said. Haku looked thoughtful for a moment.

"That might just work. Alright. Tatsuki, you be the distraction. Try to cause as much trouble as possible, but avoid killing as many as people as possible. We'll take them captive and have Ibiki-sama interrogate them. Sakura, you'll go in and get Hirohito, we'll be there to hold off any possible enemies," Haku said. The rest of them nodded and split off.

* * *

It wasn't hard to tell when Tatsuki had begun his distraction.

Four different bombs went off simultaneously in the south-east section. Instantly, several people popped out of their tents and headed for the cause of the commotion. Haku waited until most of the people left the area, and gestured for them to move in. Sakura darted forward, sticking to the shadows with Hidan and Haku tailing her.

Soon, she moved behind the tree. She leaped out and struck the gaurds on the back of the neck. They crumpled to the ground, out cold. Hirohito gasped in surprise.

"What are you-?!" Sakura slapped a hand over his mouth, silencing him.

"Saving your ungrateful ass, so shut up so I can free you," she hissed. Hirohito nodded vigorously. Saukra took her hand from his mouth and was satisfied as he stayed silent. Sakura pulled out a kunai and began snapping the ropes binding him. They were tied quite thick, and there were at least four ropes holding him. Sakura's eyebrows turned down in a deeply thoughtful manner.

All the ropes had been tied with very complicated knots, and there were four ropes. When the Konoha shinobi took prisoners, they often did that, to prevent an instantaneous escape chance for any rescue parties sent after them. It gave them a few precious seconds to surround the wanna-be rescuer and capture them again. Hirohito glanced at the ropes.

"Hurry up!" he hissed. Sakura shot him a deadly glare.

"Shut your mouth, I'm going as fast as I can!" she snapped back. Hirohito huffed, before glancing over her shoulder. He did a double-take and his eyes widened in horror.

"Watch out!" he yelled. Sakura barely had time to roll out of the way to avoid a deadly swipe over her head. Haku and Hidan jumped down behind her, ready to fight. They heard a rough chuckle.

"Pretty good...for a girl..." a man's voice rasped. Sakura whipped around to face her enemy. The man was wearing black pants, straw sandals, and a black shirt that was left open to reveal his bare chest. He had short silvery hair tied in a high ponytail, much like Shikamaru's, and emerald eyes. He looked to be in his fourties with a short scruffy beard.

"What do you want?" Sakura spat. The man chuckled and leaned on a rather short scythe. The handle and blade was blue, with a black leather handle and a deadly-looking serrated blade.

"Well, _he _already knows what I want. Don't you, Master Hidan?" he said. Sakura froze and spared a glance at Hidan. He had a snarl bared on his lips and his violet eyes were glaring at their new opponent. He never relaxed his defensive stance.

"Long time, no see, Gisei." He said. Sakura blinked and focused back on the newly identified man know as Gisei. Gisei grinned and pushed off his scythe, and swung it around so it rested on his shoulder.

"Indeed, Master Hidan. I see you have become a Leaf ninja. What a waste of an incredible gift given by Jashin-sama," he said nonchalantly. The was an audible grit of teeth from Hidan.

"Fuck off, Gisei. I've dropped the faith," Hidan snapped. Gisei never dropped the cool smirk on his face.

"I can sense that. You are no longer in Jashin-sama's favor. You must be brought to the Temple and executed for your sins," he said calmly. Hidan scoffed.

"Listen, Gisei, I'm just here for the kid. Don't make me fight an old comrade," he said. Haku was looking very uncomfortable, while Sakura was trying to sift through her thoughts and emotions. So far, they were just as jumbled up as when Hidan began speaking.

"No can-do, Master Hidan," he said, a sadistic smile on his face. He swung his scythe around and pointed it at the four of them. Suddenly, the entire south-east section went up in flames. Gisei looked back in surprise and Hidan took that precious moment of distraction. He lurched forward and drew his own scythe. Gisei's gaze snapped back too late to block the swipe. It caught him across the stomach, but Hidan continued forward and dove into him, knocking Gisei to the ground.

"GO!" he yelled, bracing the hilt of his scythe against Gisei's neck. "Get Hirohito out of here! I'll meet you up when I can!" He yelled. Sakura glanced at Hidan, chewing her lip hesitantly.

"NOW!" Hidan snapped. Sakura sliced through the rest of the rope, cutting her palm in the process. Hirohito scrambled up, only to be scooped up by Haku and tossed over his shoulders.

Sakura and Haku sprinted away, towards the direction of Tatsuki. Hidan turned his attention back to Gisei.

"Six years...and I come back to this..." Hidan growled, clenching his scythe tightly against Gisei's windpipe. Gisei grinned.

"I've changed, Master Hidan. Jashin has offered me your gift of immortality..." Gisei wheezed. Hidan grit his teeth before cracking Gisei across the face, knocking him unconscious. Hidan stood up and went after Sakura and them.

* * *

If Sakura and Haku had come any later, Tatsuki would have been dead. Sakura blocked the swipe of a sword at Tatsuki and stood in front of Tatsuki defensively.

"Sakura? You got him?" he coughed. Sakura spared a glance at him. He looked terrible. He was holding a gash on his side, covered in other cuts and bruises, and looked like he was about to drop dead.

"Yes. Haku, go!" Sakura yelled, ducking a fist and swinging around to strike her attacker in the side. He crumpled as his own rib popped a hole in his lung.

"But-!"

"NOW!" she snarled. Haku nodded an took off in the opposite direction. Sakura kicked a man in the face as he tried to go after him. She felt a neck snap under her foot, and she took in front of Tatsuki again, who didn't like he would be moving anytime soon.

"These guys, they won't stay down unless they're dead! They have a damage tolerance on par with Naruto's," he grunted. Sakura narrowed her gaze at the group of around twenty people surrounding them. Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully.

Every single one of them had white hair.

Ranging from a deep grayish color, to snow white, their hair colors matched one way or another. Sakura glared at them, and they grinned sadistically.

"Ooh, a pretty girl joined the fight?"

"Hey, s'at your boyfriend, Pinky?!"

"Back off, before we kill you too!"

Insults and threats were thrown at her from all over the crowd, but she tuned them out. If what Tatsuki said was true, then they couldn't possibly take them...the way the were now. Sakura banished the thought, but it kept popping up as she blocked strikes and kept the rest of them at a distance. It was probably the only way to get out of there alive. Suddenly, another white haired figure descended on the group, slicing into someone with a pitch black scythe.

"Hidan!"

Hidan yanked his scythe out of a dead body and hopped back to stand with Sakura. She relaxed her tense muscles slightly, allowing herself to become lose and more flexible with another comrade.

"This is bad..." Hidan said quietly. He rammed another white haired male in the gut with the hilt of his scythe and propped it in front of him again. Sakura grimaced.

"I know. Tatsuki, I need you to change." She said. Hidan frowned in confusion, but had to avert his eyes from her to block another attack. The men were getting bolder, attacking more and more often, no longer intimidated by the group.

"What?! But Sakura, I'm extremely low on chakra, I don't know if I can-,"

"Now, Tatsuki! You're the only chance of us getting out of here alive!" She said. Desperateness tinged her voice, and Hidan only then got how frightened Sakura actually was. It was hard to tell her true emotions behind that mask of cockiness of her's.

"...Fine." Tatsuki struggled to his feet and pressed his hands together, as if praying. He closed his eyes and began muttering.

"Hidan, get out of the way," Sakura warned. Hidan cocked an eyebrow. Sakura was already backing away from Tatsuki.

"Just do it!" She snapped. Hidan ducked another swipe from his enemy and backed off several steps. The man kept charging for Tatsuki. But before he could even touch him, he was blasted back by a burst of wind and energy coming from Tatsuki. He opened his eyes and Hidan nearly gasped in surprise.

Instead of his teal colored eyes, yellow slitted eyes glared at everything. Suddenly, he looked at the sky and let out a ferocious roar. It didn't sound like him at all. More like a lion...

His clothes started ripping as he transformed. He grew...and grew...and grew. His skin turned red and scaly, arms and legs shifting and changing as he transformed. In less than a minute a giant red dragon was towering over them, with ebony scales running down his back...and a burn scar on its (his) face. Hidan stepped back in shock, and the other white-haired people began stumbling back, terrified looks on their faces. But Tatsuki (?) jumped into action before they got far.

He opened his jaws, and white-hot flames spewed from the opening. Half of the group was fried instantly. He swept out with razor sharp claws and caught three across their torsos. They flew away, blooding spilling from them with water faucets.

The few left alive turned and ran. Tatsuki roared again, as if to say _"KEEP RUNNING!" _Then he began to shrink. Hidan looked at the desolation caused in less then five minutes. Tents had been seared into mounds of ash, and the smell of burnt skin hung in the hair. He heard rustling cloth and turned to see Sakura removing her red kimono. She laid it over Tatsuki, who was unconscious and butt naked.

"Hidan!" Hidan jumped at the sound of her voice. She looked up at him, and Hidan cringed slightly at the look in her eyes.

Distrust.

That shined in her eyes over anger and fear. He sighed wearily before picking up Tatsuki and running after the direction that Haku took, Sakura right next to him the entire time.

* * *

They ran for two hours before they found Haku in their makeshift camp. His head snapped up at the sound of their voice, and he smiled with relief. Hirohito was sitting by a fire and staring into in forlornly.

"Good, you guys made it back!" He said. His smile vanished at the sight of Tatsuki.

Turns out, his clothes had been hiding most of the damage he had sustained. He had two broken ribs, three large gashes that would need stitches, and dozens of other lacerations and black, bone-deep bruises.

Hidan shook his head as Sakura grabbed a blanket and laid it out to lay Tatsuki on.

Nobody spoke for several tense minutes as Sakura healed Tatsuki as best she could. Not even Hirohito said anything. She used almost all of her bandages wrapping his many wounds. She wiped her brow when she finished and stood up. She wheeled on Hidan unexpectedly.

"Hidan, I want to know what hell happened back there! Who the hell were those people back there?!" she nearly yelled. Hidan closed his eyes and sat down rather calmly.

"A cult." He said, opening his eyes to look up at them. "A cult of Jashinists."

* * *

**Omake: For the Sake of Love**

"Hey, Ino Pig, have you have your first kiss yet?" Sakura said as she swung slowly back and forth on the swings, Ino sitting next to her. Even though they were already 13, it was still something they liked to do as friends. Suddenly, Ino dragged her feet on the dirt, slowing her to a stop.

"Uh...O-of course I have! As beautiful as _I _am, boys are all over me," she said. Sakura didn't miss her falter at the beginning.

"You haven't had your first kiss, have you?" Sakura said, a slow grin spreading across her face. Ino's cheeks got pink as she glared at Sakura.

"Have to!"

"Have not."

"Have to!"

"Have not!"

Ino scowled, looking around in her frustration. Suddenly, she spotted Chouji and Shikamaru walking down the bike path a few feet away. She perked up and stuck her tongue out at Sakura before hopping off of her swing.

"Oh yeah? Watch this! Oi, Chouji-kun! Wait up!" She yelled, running after the two. Chouji paused and turned around.

Just in time to watch as Ino pulled him down by his shirt collar and pecked him lightly on the lips. Chouji's eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed pink. Ino grinned and whirled around to face Sakura.

"Ha! Now you got nothing on me, Billboard Brow!" she said. She ran back to her, probably to begin an argument. Shikamaru stared at Chouji incredulously. Well, as incredulous as the laziest 13-year-old genius could look.

"Chouji...what just happened?" Shikamaru muttered. Chouji was silent before he turned around and grinned. He shoved another chip in his mouth and shrugged.

"I dunno, but I just got kissed by Ino-chan," he said nonchalantly.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Wow, this chapter was a lot longer that I thought it would be. But I think it gets a big point across and kick starts one of the major plot points :)**

**Anyways, here's your poll!**

**Favorite Weapon?**

**a) Kunai**

**b)Shuriken**

**c) Sword (any kind)**

**d) Other, I'd love to know :D**

**Also, don't forget about my OC contest. I have a spot to fill, thank you very much. **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Corner: OMIGOSH SO MANY REVIEWS! Seriously guys, you are awesome! I feel loved!  
**

**Anyways, I love author's notes. It's a fun way to kick-start my imagination and no one even has to read them! Plus I get to rant all I want and nobody really cares. **

**But for those of you who DO read my author's notes get a cookie. And a hug. Though I punch hard if you grope. But anyways, HA! FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT SCROLL RIGHT PAST THIS, YOU DON'T GET EITHER OF THEM! Oh, and I feel terrible for all those people that have to crap in plastic bags of the Carnival Triumph cruise ship. Horrible, really. **

**I bet they ain't ever going on another cruise ship.**

**P.S. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! ^/^ **

* * *

Sakura blinked before sitting down as well. There was a tense silence, only broken by the crackling of the fire. Haku twirled a senbon through his fingers nervously. Tatsuki was still unconscious, laying on the blanket with Sakura's kimono still draped over him to keep him decent. Hirohito had already fallen asleep.

"And I figure you deserve to know," he continued. Sakura scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Damn right, Hidan," she snapped. Hidan didn't let it show how much those words stung. He sighed and scratched the back of his before staring up at the sky.

"Well, I should start from the beginning." Sakura leaned forward and Haku put down the senbon to focus entirely on Hidan.

"Becoming a Jashinist isn't easy. You have to memorize hundreds of old texts, rules, and laws. It's a particularly painful process and takes around a year. Heh, most people die trying," he said wryly. Sakura narrowed her eyes and Haku tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Why did you even become a Jashinist if it was so hard?" He asked. Hidan broke out in harsh chuckles.

"Because I didn't know any better. I was twelve when I began learning the ways of Jashin," he said, spreading his hands sarcastically. Sakura frowned, but remained silent.

"When he deems you worthy, you gain the "blessing" of Jashin. It's how we're able to connect with our enemies by ingesting their blood, but you still die if you place a fatal wound on yourself to injure your opponent." He left the unasked question lingering in the air.

"How...?" Haku drifted off. Hidan stared into the fire and the flames danced in his violet eyes.

"Because..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Because I was the strongest. I had killed a man twice my age, and with relative ease too." Haku fell silent again. Hidan waited for several seconds before he swallowed a lump in his throat and continued.

"I didn't have the happiest of childhoods, and when I began studying Jashinism, everything was so intense. From the lessons to the training, and it threw me into a fuzzy haze. I barely remember the eight years I spent studying under Gisei. It was...intoxicating. Like some kind of drug." He explained. Sakura's hateful expression softened somewhat.

"When I...sacrificed people, it didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. It was no different than leaving an offering at a shrine, or saying grace at dinner. It...felt like I was doing the right thing." He ran a hand through his hair. Sakura matched his movements as she pushed her bangs out of her face. AFter a moment, Hidan continued.

"The longer I was kept away from praying and other Jashinists, the clearer my head became. You have no idea how much guilt and regret hit me when I realized what a bastard I had been," he said dryly. Sakura sighed.

"Well...I think we're just lucky to have escaped. That many Jashinists..." she breathed. Suddenly, Hidan sat up stiffly.

"That reminds me, Jashinists don't normally travel in groups. Unless you have an apprentice, we normally travel alone. From what I read, there hasn't been a gathering like that in over fifty years," he said. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Even the fire did nothing to brighten the mood. Hidan rested his hands on his knees, and didn't speak again.

"What was the reason for the last gathering?" Haku said cautiously. Hidan swallowed and his grip tightened.

"When...Jashin was said to have actually appeared on earth. That was around the time of the second Shinobi World War." Hidan said. A deafening silence nearly choked the three of them. Nobody said anything, too wrapped up in their own thoughts to speak. After several tense minutes, a loud groan from Tatsuki made them snap their heads to him. His eyes flickered open and he attempted to sit up.

"You're going to open up your wounds again," She she nonchalantly. Tatsuki ignored her and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"You always worry too much about me. I've got Ryujin blood, remember?" he grinned and tapped his chest lightly. Sakura rolled her as before fishing Tatsuki's pants out of his bag.

"If you're well enough to sit up, I bet you can get dressed so I can have my kimono back. Remind me to burn it." She said as she turned around to let Tatsuki wrestled himself into his clothes.

"Ha, ha, very funny," he muttered. Sakura heard him blow a raspberry at her. She snorted and stood up.

"It's dark, we should get some rest. I'll take first watch," she offered. Hidan held up two fingers, signifying that he would take second watch. It seemed he had exhausted his speech limit for today. Haku mumbled something that may have been an agreement before stretching out on his bedroll and promptly falling asleep, as did Tatsuki. Sakura scratched her head and put a hand on her hip.

"Honestly. I get stuck with three guys and I end up barely getting to fight. Again. Dammit." She muttered under her breath before hopping into a tree. She ricocheted off several branches before settling on one high above them. Hidan sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He sat against a tree, attempting to sleep.

Yeah, fuck that.

After an hour, he gave up trying to even mediate. He opened his eyes and looked up at the stars that peppered the sky. He noticed Sakura sitting in the tree, resting in the crook of where the branch split off from the trunk. He sighed in defeat and scratched the back of head.

_Eh, what the hell._

* * *

Sakura barely blinked as her sharp green eyes scanned the area for the millionth time, searching for any sign of a threat. One leg dangled over the branch and the other was tucked against her chest with her elbow on her knee. It was a full moon, and it cast the whole forest in a silvery glow. She heard the wind shift as Hidan jumped up beside her.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked. Hidan didn't say anything. Instead he sat down about two feet from her, shoulders slumped and his feet swinging slightly over the branch. Sakura smirked as she continued to stare at the landscape.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said, a dry mirth laced in her voice. Hidan leaned back, bracing his hands against the thick branch. Hidan looked down at Tatsuki, who was still sleeping peacefully.

"I bet you're wondering about his power, right?" she said. Hidan jumped slightly before nodding. Sakura sighed and tapped out a beat on her knee. She was quiet for a few moments before speaking.

"Tatsuki's the last of his clan, the Ryujins. They were said to have been descended from the Sage of the Six Paths, the spirit of the great dragon." She began.

"The Ryujins were incredibly powerful. Blessed with a near perfect immunity system, the strength of ten men, advanced healing abilities, and nearly endless stamina. And like you saw before, they can change their shape to the of a dragon. They were a small clan on the edge of the Land of Wind, and mostly unknown to the world. Mostly." Sakura paused and pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers.

"The Mist destroyed them. Obliterated. Slaughtered. Whatever you want to call it. And despite their seemingly perfect skills and bodies, they didn't stand a chance." Hidan stared down at Tatsuki again. Suddenly, he saw him in a whole new light. He looked at Sakura, and unasked question hovering on his lips.

"But their gift was also a curse." Hidan blinked. A bitter smile crossed her face.

"Even though they were extremely powerful, they were still human. The strain of an entire other being hiding beneath the surface of their human bodies becomes too much. Hardly any other Ryujin lives past thirty. Tatsuki's twenty-eight. Twenty-nine in three months." She said. That hit Hidan hard. He saw Tatsuki yawn widely and roll over in his sleep, mumbling something about cookies. It was sad. Tatsuki was so energetic, despite the fact he knew he was going to die in under two years.

Hidan let that thought stir in his head. Sakura went back to scanning the landscape.

_Pat...pat...pat... _

Hidan's ear twitched slightly. He turned to look at Sakura and noticed her palm had a large slice across it, dripping blood onto the wood. Hidan pointed at it, rousing Sakura from whatever trance she had been in.

"Hmm? Oh, this. When I cut the ropes of Hirohito...I'll deal with it tomorrow, I'm out of chakra and Tatsuki is using most of the bandages." She said. Hidan sighed in irritation before clamping onto his sleeve with his teeth.

_Riiiip! _

Sakura finally slid her eyes to look at Hidan. He grabbed her injured hand and before using the cloth he had ripped from his shirt to wrap the wound. Sakura looked surprised. Hidan didn't meet her eyes the entire time.

"Thanks..." she mumbled when he tied off the strip of navy blue cloth. Hidan flicked his eyes up to her quickly and found him draw into the grassy green orbs. Her eyes were tired...exhausted. Eyes that had seen too much blood shed, had seen too many people die.

Eyes that were close to breaking.

Hidan realized with a start that this probably the first time he was actually seeing _her. _All of her walls were gone, her masks, her bravado. A tired smile adorned her face and Hidan's heart skipped a beat.

The moonlight made her pastel pink hair look silver, the black highlights sticking out more than ever, and her fair skin glow. The exhaustion etched into her face made her look years older, and yet Hidan couldn't think of anything more beautiful.

As soon as the word appeared in his mind, he wanted to banish it. And yet, he couldn't. He smirked lightly and turned to stare at the sky. Sakura's face fell slightly before she covered it up. She turned so her position was matching Hidan's and stared at her toes.

Before she knew what was happening, Hidan had gently wrapped a hand around her head and smushed it into his lap.

"Sleep," he said with a commanding, yet gentle voice. "You need it." Sakura, who had been shocked initially, relaxed and curled up slightly. She smiled through a yawn.

"Yeah..." she murmured before her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

"Thank you for returning Hirohito to me, Leaf shinobi," Mifune said politely as he nodded. Sakura smiled brightly.

"No problem, Mifune-sama," she said. Mifune smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corner.

Tatsuki, Hidan, Haku, and Sakura were lined up in front of the master samurai, preparing to head out for the Leaf. Hirohito was standing next to Mifune, arms crossed and snobby scowled on his face. Mifune's smile faded as he looked back and forth at the four of them and Hirohito. He smirked suddenly.

"You passed."

There were four simultaneous "Huh?!"s from Tatsuki, Haku, Hidan and Sakura. Suddenly, the contemptuous look melted off Hirohito's face, to be replaced with a polite smile. Hirohito instantly seemed a lot nicer. He snapped his fingers and a young man appeared at his side, kneeling and holding a katana out to Hirohito. He took it and fastened it to his hip. He smirked as Mifune began speaking.

"I sent Hiro here to test the Leaf's compassion, patience, and tolerance. You four have passed with flying colors." He said. Hirohito laughed lightly and scratched the back of his head.

"You have my thanks for putting up with me." He bowed, and Haku, Hidan, Tatsuki, and Sakura's eyes were wide as dinner plates_. _This flip in personality was extremely bewildering. Sakura shook her head and rubbed her forehead.

"No problem...Glad we could be of service, Mifune-sama," she said. Mifune nodded. Haku spoke up for Sakura, as she was too busy keeping her killer intent in control to speak.

"We should be leaving soon, I hope we meet again on equally friendly terms," he bowed and hooked his arms through Sakura's and dragged her away. Tatsuki offered a sheepish grin before following them. Hidan bowed and left too.

The friendly smile left Hirohito's face.

"Master, that was-"

"Yes, I know, Hidan no Yugakure. Do you think they know it was him?" He inquired. Hirohito looked at Mifune.

"Hidan was said to have brought the death of Asuma Sarutobi nearly seven years ago. They have to know." He said. Mifune smirked and stroked his beard.

"Interesting. They have taken in an enemy and he seems to have turned over a new leaf," he mused. Hirohito stared after them, his ebony hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Curious..."

* * *

**Omake: Push!  
**

"Come on! Harder Naruto!"

"Shut up teme, this is the best I can do!"

"Well, your best sucks!"

"This is a lot harder for me than it is for you, 'ttebayo!"

"Push!"

"Shut _up!_"

"Hey, this isn't supposed-"

"Just blow it!"

"This is your fault!"

"How was I supposed to know that he could summon wolves?! Hurry and blow up the cave, I can't hold them back any longer!"

* * *

**Author's Corner: Pfffft, HAHAHA! You pervs, I bet you loved that omake! I have no idea where it came from, I was just watching White Chicks and it gave me some ideas... *wink wink*  
**

**Anyways, this took longer than I wanted it to take, but ta-da! **

**And your poll~**

**What is your favorite clan?**

**a) Uzumaki**

**b) Uchiha**

**c) Hyuuga**

**d) Other, REVIEW!**

**Bye!**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Corner: Hey everybody, how's life? I bet it's just fan-fucking-tastic right now! Right?  
**

**Ugh, fuck it, I'm in a really crappy mood. I've got this constant headache and it won't go away, so this update might be a little slow. Not to mention that I didn't get a major grade in _again _so technically, I'm grounded.**

**But who the hell listens to this things anyways?! :3**

**Oh, and for the douche bag that keeps dissing my omakes, FUCK YOU! They are for your enjoyment, and you can just skip them! I do them to get rid of plot bunnies and random junk in my head, so shut up before your house mysteriously combusts one day. And your dog gets run over. And I burn your pokemon cards.  
**

***coughs and smooths hair* Now, I believe I have a chapter to write. **

* * *

"Sakura-chan, are you sure nothing happened on that mission? You seem kind of...I dunno, off I guess, 'ttebayo," Naruto said between slurps of ramen. Sakura swirled her ramen absentmindedly with her chopsticks. Naruto snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"What? Oh, you were saying?" Sakura said. Naruto frowned and went back to his ramen.

"I was _saying _that you seemed a little off." He grumbled. Sakura laughed and took a bite of her ramen.

"Ne, ne, it's nothing Naruto, I've just had a lot on my mind. Um, Inner problems, you know?" she laughed nervously. Naruto blinked and waved his hand for another bowl of ramen.

"Oh. Why's she acting up all the sudden? _Did _something happen on that mission to the Land of Iron?" he asked. Suddenly, Sakura clenched her fist, snapping her chopsticks.

"I'm acting up becauseI can't stand that little _twit _Hidan!" she snapped, turning to glare at Naruto. He stiffened when he saw her eyes. Her pupils were gone and her scleras were black. Suddenly, her eyes returned to normal and she gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Naruto! I didn't mean to lose control," she said, covering her mouth. Naruto swallowed and grinned sheepishly.

"It's...it's no problem, Sakura-chan!" he said cheerfully. Sakura held her head in her hands, gripping her pink and black hair tightly. Naruto patted her on the back.

"Well, the Konoha Festival is coming up in a week, are you gonna go?" he said, trying to divert the topic. Sakura huffed dryly and raised her head and turned back to her ramen, refusing to look Naruto in the eyes.

"Probably not. I'd be the only one without a date," she said. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut. Sakura didn't notice, so she didn't ask.

"Hm, it would be nice if you did. Hinata-chan is coming with me, and I think the Sand Siblings are coming too," he said, scratching his cheek thoughtfully. Sakura devoured her ramen in an attempt to distract herself. Naruto sighed and stood up. He paid for his ramen and left. Sakura watched him go, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. He only had four bowls...

* * *

"SAKURA! FOREHEAD! GET YOUR ASS HERE! DON'T TELL ME YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE FESTIVAL!" Ino banged on Sakura's door. She heard footsteps and stepped back, preparing to rip her best friend a new one.

"Yeah, I thought we were-" For once, Ino's voice failed her. Instead of Sakura's short figure, Ino had to look up to meet the eyes of Hidan. He had a mildly irritated look on his face and was squinting against the sunlight.

"Um, I'm sorry, I thought Sakura was here," she mumbled. Hidan rubbed his eyes as he leaned against the door frame. Ino noticed the the apartment was mostly dark behind the door. He might have been taking a nap. Or sleeping in, it depends.

"No, said something about shopping," he grumbled, stifling a yawn. Ino blinked.

"You talked..." she said. Hidan cocked an eyebrow. Ino narrowed her eyes.

"I thought you said you were mute," she prodded. Hidan rolled his eyes and scratched his head.

"There's a difference between mute and an unwillingness to speak," he said. Ino crossed her arms, quickly regaining her snappy attitude.

"Touche. Anyways, I better go find her. Um...bye," she said, whirling around and hurrying away. Hidan went to close the door and go back to bed when her remembered something.

"Oi, blondie, hold on a moment!" he called out. Ino paused on her way downstairs and turned around. Hidan vanished inside the apartment before returning with something in his hands.

"Catch."

Ino stretched her hands out to catch the scroll he tossed at her. She looked it over, expecting a paper bomb attached to it, or something similar. But there wasn't. It seemed pretty normal.

"What's this?" she asked. Hidan scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"A letter. Give it to Shikamaru for me, will you? He's your teammate right? The Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, if I remember correctly." He said. Ino stared at it.

"Yeah...alright."

* * *

"Come _on _Gaara, the Konoha Festival only happens once every three years! Please, please, _please _can I go?" Kankuro whined. Gaara didn't reply as he dipped his brush in the inkwell again. Kankuro shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. Temari mimicked his movements beside him.

"I know."

"Well, is that a yes? I bet Naruto would be excited if you came too. You can take off work for a week, Baki-sensei wouldn't have a problem managing for that long." Temari added. Gaara finally slid his teal eyes up to meet theirs.

"And what would the point of that be?" He said. Kankuro blinked and was at a loss for words. Fortunately, Temari had prepared for this and had a quick retort ready for him.

"It could strengthen the bond between the Leaf and the Sand." She offered. Gaara's expression didn't change, but Temari could tell he was thinking about it.

"And Matsuri said she wanted to go too," Kankuro blurted. Gaara paused mid-character, his brush hovering over the paper. Temari fought down a grin.

_"So close..." _she thought. Finally, Gaara let out a long sigh. A wide grin nearly split Kankuro's face in two.

"Fine. We'll leave in two days." He relented. Kankuro's fist shot into the air victoriously.

"YES!"

* * *

"Neji, the Konoha Festival is coming up this week. There's gonna be fireworks, and music, and dancing. It'll be wonderful," Tenten said, swinging her feet lightly.

"It's supposed to last for three days straight. The Sand Siblings are going to be here too, we just got a letter from the Kazekage. Kankuro-kun is coming too. I bet Tsunade-sama is going to drink out entire sake supply." Tenten laughed and pushed her bangs out of her face. The wind blew gently, causing a few cherry blossoms to float on the breeze.

"I also heard that the guy at Naruto's favorite ramen stand is holding a ramen eating contest. Kami knows how that's going to end. Did I tell you that he's dating Hinata-chan? Don't worry, he's treating her good, and I've never seen her happier. Though Sasuke and Sakura broke up and few months ago. I don't think she's gotten over it. But this new guy came to the village. I haven't seen him much, but he says his names Hidan. Well, _he _didn't say it, Sakura introduced him. Ne, Neji, I have to go. I have to meet Lee-kun and Guy-sensei for a mission. I'll come back when I'm done." Tenten hopped on the gravestone and brushed off her shirt. She bent down and placed a flower on the grave.

"Ja ne, Neji," she said as she waved and left the cemetery.

* * *

"Hidan? Where- OW, dammit. Why's it so dark in here? Hidan!" Sakura righted herself after crashing into the coffee table. She stumbled over the the light switch.

"Don't turn it on."

Sakura paused. She squinted in the dark, and could make out Hidan's form on the couch. She was tempted to turn the light on anyways, but something told her not to.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she cautiously made her way over to the couch. Hidan was sprawled on the couch with his arm draped over his eyes, even though it was dark and the shades were drawn.

"Head hurts." He mumbled. Sakura puffed a stray hair out of her face in irritation. She tossed his feet off the couch and sat down.

"Is that it?" She asked. She heard Hidan chuckle wryly.

"Well, it feels like I'm having a brain aneurysm." He said. Sakura frowned and leaned over. She tapped Hidan's arm and he moved it. She placed a hand on his forehead and a light green glow illuminated the room. She pulled back after several silent minutes.

"I can't find the source. I don't like it," she said, a troubled look crossing her face. Hidan reached up and grabbed her wrist weakly. He removed her hand from his forehead, but didn't let go.

"I don't think it has anything to do with my head. It might have been the exposure to all those Jashinists. After all, I'm still connected to them even though I don't do the rituals anymore." He said wearily. Sakura pulled her hand from his grip. She was just glad that it was too dark to see the the blush on her face.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Hidan sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.

"Well, you know everyone has an aura. It's how sensor-nin track people. Jashinists are different. Their aura's are just...bleck." He said. Sakura muffled a giggle.

"Bleck?"

"Bleck." Hidan confirmed. "When I was an active Jashinist, it didn't affect me much, because mine was the most powerful. But now it has watered down and all of those aura's are making me sick." Sakura sighed. She stood up and scratched her head.

"Sit up," she said. Hidan's eyes moved to meet hers blearily.

"Huh?" He said. Sakura snorted and moved around to where Hidan's head was resting on the the armrest.

"I think I can rid of the headache. If it's an overload of negative energy, I can sort it out. Just...sit up, baka," she muttered. Hidan smirked wryly, and slowly forced himself into a sitting position. Sakura sat down, her legs tucked underneath her. She patted her lap.

"Lay down," she said. Hidan laughed softly, and rubbed his eyes.

"Sit up, lay down, make up your mind woman. This is killing my head," he said. Sakura rolled her eyes and poked him in the back of his head.

"Just do it, it's easier like this," she said. Hidan muttered something before he relaxed, his head resting on her lap. She rested her fingers on his temples. His eyes fell shut as her chakra cast the room in a warm green glow. Her couch was rather large, so there was plenty of room for the both of them.

Sakura closed her eyes and worked her way into his head, "seeing" with her chakra. Hidan fell asleep after a few minutes, his breaths growing slower and deeper. Sakura opened her eyes and studied him.

_"He looks so peaceful..." _she thought. She removed one hand from his temple and brushed a lock of silver hair from his face. Hidan sighed through his nose, and Sakura tensed, waiting for him to wake up. But he didn't. Sakura watched with surprise as Hidan's lips curled up the corners into a soft smile. Sakura felt the headache release it's hold from her mind. Sakura gently worked her chakra from his brain and the glow faded.

_**"I still don't get why you love him so much,"**_Sakura flinched slightly as Inner popped into her thoughts.

_"Shut up! I do not "love" him! That would be...weird,"_ An involuntary blush crept across her cheeks at the thought.

_**"Sakura, I live inside your head, I know exactly what you think every second of the day. You're falling for Hidan, don't deny it." **_Sakura clamped down on her thoughts, blocking Inner once again.

But why was she still blushing?!

* * *

"Is everything set?" A low voice purred. The man was sitting upon a throne-like chair and his face was swathed in shadows, rendering him unrecognizable. Another man was kneeling in front of him.

"Yes, my Lord." He said, head bowed. The a slow, sinister grin crossed the mans face.

"Good. I think it's time we collect our sacrifice. After all, raising Jashin-sama from Hell requires a hefty toll." The kneeling man swallowed thickly.

"Yes, my Lord." He said. His voice quivered slightly. The man on the throne frowned, lips curving down delicately.

"Do I detect fear, Amane? Our Master would not be please if he found you betraying the faith..." He said. His voice was smooth, cold, deadly, and yet sounded like a knife dragging across stone.

"N-not at all my Lord. It's...excitement. I feel blessed to be able to witness the rising of Jashin-sama," he said, still not raising his head. The man laughed. A cold, cruel laugh that sent shivers up Amane's spine.

"Indeed, Amane, indeed. We shall raze this country, one village at a time. It has become weak, a blight in the world of shinobi and we're going to wipe it out. Jashin-sama shall rise and aid us in the destruction of this world. We shall rebuild it as a world where everyone knows and fears the name Jashin. They shall worship Him, and He shall have endless sacrifices in His name!" The volume of the man's voice raised until the cavern shook with the sound waves. Amane gulped.

"Go, Amane. Put together a team. We have a traitor to capture."

* * *

**Omake: Sex Ed.  
**

"SAI! Give that back! It was a gag gift from my friends! Give it back!" Sakura attempted to grab the small plastic-wrapped square from Sai's pale fingers, but he held it just out of reach. Sakura's face was beet red as she attempted to get the condom back that had fallen out of her purse when she dropped it.

"But what is it?" Sai inquired calmly as he switched hands and stepped back. Sakura paused, before gesturing for Sai to bend down. Sai's facial expression didn't change as Sakura gave him a crash course on what the small plastic thing actually was.

After a moment, he stood up again. He pointed at the condom.

"So this is..." Sakura nodded vigorously.

"And it allows me to..." Another vigorous nod. Before Sakura could say anything, Sai pocketed the plastic square. He turned around and began to walk away.

"W-what are you doing?!" Sakura hissed. Sai turned around, a completely innocent look on his face.

"I'll need it later, won't I?"

* * *

**Author's Corner: This chapter was more of a filler chapter, I guess. You could call it a build-up, but you would be fooling yourself.  
**

**GAH! HEADACHE! KILL ME NOW! Kidding, but thank goodness I finished this. About the omake, I saw a really cute KagomexSesshomaru comic on google (just look up Kagome and Sesshomaru, I think it'll pop up) and I just totally saw this happening with Sai and Sakura. Except for the end. Lol.  
**

**Anyways, Mr. Douche-Bag-That-Hates-My-Omakes, I'm going to keep doing them, just to piss you off ^-^ And here is your poll:  
**

**What's Your Favorite Akatsuki Member?**

**a) Itachi**

**b) Nagato/Pein**

**c) Tobi**

**d) Other, plenty to choose from, ladies and gentlemen!**

**-Kaya Kazaki  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Corner: WAIT DON'T SHOOT! I'm sorry for the super late update! My laptop is jacked up (_again_) and I need a new hard drive for it. You know what, fuck it, I need a new laptop entirely. It's...(counts on fingers)...six years old now. Or five, depends. But yeah. I'm grabbing any chance I can get to work on these, so you must be patient. Aasjhjdfjdksafkjdsj, god dammit!**

**Anyways...**

**Wow, 14 chapters, and I still have so much I want to do. Pfft, I sound like Willy Wonka...or maybe the Doctor. I dunno, figure it out yourself.  
**

**Anyways, I think my poll for my OC's is coming to a close. I only have one so far, and she might win on default. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a little disappointing. **

**Has anyone heard _My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark _by Fall Out Boy? I find it strangely addicting. *Starts humming it***

**Disclaimer: *points plastic gun wildly* I DON'T OWN NARUTO! GET AWAY, YOU SAVAGE BEASTS! BACK! BACK! BACK I SAY!**

* * *

"What do you mean we have to go on a mission?!" Naruto whined. Tsunade sighed and reached for her sake out of habit. "The Konoha Festival is tomorrow! I don't wanna miss it!"

"It won't take that long. There's a rouge nin around our borders, and he has been attacking the villages. I need you to apprehend him, our food supplies are suffering," Tsunade explained. Hidan and Sakura were there too.

"But Baa-chan-!"

"Yes ma'am," Sakura said, elbowing Naruto in the gut before he could finish. He wheezed and doubled over, holding his stomach. "We have no problem with this mission, right Naruto?" Sakura smiled brightly as she crushed Naruto's foot under her heel. Naruto covered his mouth to keep from crying out. He gave a thumbs up. Sakura smirked and lifted her foot.

"Alright. You leave in two hours. I want this pest dealt with as soon as possible. Dismissed," she said, rubbing her temples. Shizune nearly strangled Tonton as Tsunade poured herself some sake.

"Tsunade-sama, you must get your paperwork done! You can not do that when you're drunk!" Shizune hissed. Tsunade ignored her, and the small dish, lifting the bottle to her lips and taking a long gulp. She set it down and her eyes faded in and out of focus for several seconds.

"Eh, I'll get it done tomorrow," she muttered before taking another sip. Shizune sighed exhaustedly.

* * *

"I spy with my little eye...something green."

_Whack!_

"Everything's green Naruto, be a little more creative!" She snapped. Naruto rubbed the back of his sore head sheepishly. He grinned and winked at her.

"I was talking about your eyes, Sakura-chan. Don't you agree, Hidan?" Naruto called over his shoulder. Hidan's head jerked up at the sound of his name, tearing him from his thoughts. Naruto grinned over his shoulder at the sliver haired man.

"She has pretty eyes, right?" He said. Sakura flushed and punched his arm. Hidan was quiet as he watched Sakura sputter out embarrassed remarks at the blonde. He just grinned and laughed loudly. Though he had to say, her emerald eyes were the most vibrant he had ever seen. He scowled to himself and banished the thought. Where were all these weird opinions coming from?! Hidan had a bad feeling he already knew.

"Ugh, Naruto, I swear one day I'm going...to..." Sakura's words died in her throat as they broke through the foliage. The had arrived at the village.

Or, what was left of it.

Every house had been burned, leaving charred skeletons of homes and ashes. All three of them were staring with a mix of surprise and horror. Sakura walked slowly forward and into the ruins.

"Kami...who did this?" She murmured. Naruto followed after her, at a faster pace, and began calling out, searching for survivors. Hidan observed the blackened remains of what once would have been a very lively village. It...seemed familiar...somehow. He shook her head. He saw a few bodies mixed in with the wreckage. Something caught his eye.

"Hey!" He yelled. Naruto and Sakura spun around. Hidan crouched down and pushed aside several pieces of broken timber from what might have been a bakery.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." He pointed at the upside down triangle in the center of a circle. Sakura swallowed a fearful lump in her throat. Naruto clenched his fist in anger.

"Jashinists..."

Suddenly, there was a clatter of wood, and a young girl of about eight jumped out and charged at Hidan.

"Go away! There's nothing left here, go away! Go away! Go away!" She beat her small fists against Hidan's back, but he didn't make any move to stop her.

"Haven't you bastards killed enough?! Go away, go a-!" Hidan reached back and twisted slightly with incredibly fast reflexes and snatched her wrists. He looked at her with cold violet eyes and she stopped dead.

"I wouldn't want anything to do with those people. Don't make wild assumptions about me." He hissed. The girl shrunk back, trying to tug her wrists from Hidan's iron grip.

"Hidan!" Sakura snapped. The murderous look snapped off of his face and he suddenly released her. She tumbled back onto her behind and scooted away from him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"My apologies, I...never mind." He stood up and kicked away the circle until it had dissolved. Sakura walked over to the girl and began talking to her in soothing tones. She sniffed and soon burst into tears. Hidan scowled and mentally slapped himself.

"And then...and then t-these white-haired men c-came and killed everyone. T-they were yelling about J-Jashin and they would die, even though we stabbed then a lot. A-and then they drew those circles. I-it was so horrible," she sobbed. Sakura rubbed her back comfortingly, and Naruto was off somewhere, still searching for anyone that had survived.

"Do you know if there's any other people alive?" Sakura said. The girl -identified as Suki- wiped her eyes and sniffed again.

"M-my mom hid me and my brother-"

"Suki!" A boy, a little older than Suki, nearly fell as he rounded a pile of wood and ash. He skid to a stop and ogled at them. He took a step back and Hidan hurriedly put his hands out in front of him, the world-wide sign for "don't shoot!".

"We came to help. We're from the Leaf," he explained. He relaxed slightly and edged forward.

"Um...I'm Ari. That's Suki. I'm pretty sure we're the only survivors," he said warily. Sakura stood up and brushed off her hands from the ash that had smeared itself onto her hands.

"Alright. I better go get Naruto before he catched the attention of any nearby threats. Hidan, watch them," she narrowed her eyes at him before jumping away towards Naruto's voice.

Suki ran to Ari and hugged his leg. They both had matching dark brown hair and black eyes. Their clothes were tattered and dirty, and there were tear streaks on their face; clear lines through the ash that had collected on their cheeks. Ari looked at Hidan warily.

"You look like them."

Hidan pricked up his ears and looked at Ari and Suki. Ari was glaring at him and holding his sister protectively behind him.

"The people who attacked us. You have the same white hair," he said. Hidan sighed as he fought down a grin at their antics. He sat down on a toppled pillar of wood and stared at the sky.

"Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you would be already," he said. Suki let out a small gasp and buried her face in his leg. Ari gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to snap out a retort.

"Why you-!" Hidan leveled them with an even gaze.

"But you're not, are you?" He nearly smirked as Ari closed his mouth and looked at the ground. Just then, Sakura appeared with Naruto at her side. Hidan had a feeling he knew why there was now a large lump on his head.

"I couldn't find anyone else. I found eight more circles," she said. Hidan flinched. Eight?! Why would there be eight? Troubling questions appeared in his mind; ones that set his throbbing head swirling again. Sakura glanced uneasily at Hidan, but he hardly noticed.

"We need to get out of here. Suki, Ari, do you have any extra clothing that wasn't destroyed?" Sakura asked. Suki and Ari exchanged glances, before shaking their heads. Sakura sighed and pinched her brow wearily.

"No matter. Let's get out of here. If several Jashinists really did attack this, we need to inform Tsunade-sama of this immediately," she said. Naruto nodded and bit his thumb. He made a few handsigns and hit the ground. There was a small poof of smoke and a small yellow toad with green markings appeared.

"Naruto-sama, you summoned?" it croaked. Naruto sat down and scrawled out a note on a small scroll.

"Take this to Baa-chan, it's incredibly important." He said. It nodded and took the scoll. It tucked it into his small pack and dispelled again. Suki and Ari ogled at where the toad had been.

Several silent seconds passed.

"IT TALKED!"

* * *

"So your mom was a baker?" Sakura watched as Suki and Ari scarfed down their third bowl of rice. Ari nodded, considerably happier than he was a few hours ago. Naruto, Sakura, and Hidan had camped out a mile or so outside of the village.

"Mm-hmm! She always made the best daifuku! And then, on my birthday, she'd bake me this _huge_ cake!" Ari rambled on about his old life as he enjoyed eating the team's supplies. Naruto was up in a tree, keeping watch and Hidan was off in the nearby river, washing up.

"So what about your dad?" She asked. She smiled cheerily as she held her chin in her palm. To her surprise, Ari shrugged.

"I dunno, he left when I was eight, and Suki was three," he said. "I haven't seen him since." Sakura didn't let that show on her face, but her heart went out to the kids stuffing their faces in front of the fire she had set up. A twig snapped and Hidan appeared through the brush. His hair was wet and pushed out of his face, but stray stands had come loose and fell in his face. He irritatedly brushed it back, only to have it fall in the same place.

"Someone needs a haircut," she said playfully. Hidan scowled and shot her a withering glare. Sakura laughed it off, and went back to spoiling the orphans. Hidan sighed and clutched his head, turning away from the fire. Sakura watched him, her brow creasing in worry. She clapped her hands suddenly, and watched as Hidan jumped.

"Alright, I think you've had enough to eat, kids," she said.

"Awww!" They said in unison. Sakura stood up and brushed off her pants.

"It's time to go to sleep, it's already late as it is," she said. The kids stood up, stifling a yawn. She smiled fondly and set out two bedrolls for them. Ari laid down in one and Suki snuggled in with him, ignoring the other. Sakura smiled and tucked them in, feeling her heartstrings being pulled sternly. She shook her head and kicked some dirt on the fire, dimming it slightly.

She sat down under a tree and looked out at Hidan. His white hair stuck out in the faint light of the moon like a sore thumbs, and seemed to glow slightly. She sighed and tucked her legs o=underneath her.

"Hey Hidan." She said softly. He turned towards her slightly. She smirked and patted her lap. "You want me to get rid of that headache or what?" He sighed and slid over to rst his head in her lap. She placed her fingers on his temples and a faint green light illuminated his face. Sakura closed her eyes in concentration as she molded her chakra to the veins and pathways in his head. Hidan sighed through his nose, the familiar feeling of her chakra soothing his frazzled nerves.

Hidan found himself watching her brow furrow slightly in concentration, and thoughts played across her face like a movie. Her black-streaked rosette hair fell over her shoulder as she slouched. On a wild urge, he reached up and tucked a strand behind her ear. Her eyes shot open in surprise and emeralds met amethyst. Her cheeks flushed the same color as her hair.

"W-what was that for?" She muttered quietly. He smirked and closed his eyes.

"No reason. Just curiosity," he said. His headache unravelled like a thread and the pain vanished. Sakura's chakra vanished, though her hands remained on his face, ghosting over the surface of his skin.

"Curiosity? About what?" She said. He opened his eyes and grasped a lock of her long hair and twirled it between his fingers. She scowled as her blush deepened.

"I guess...where'd you get this color? Bad dye?" He said, snickering slightly. She rolled her eyes and sat up a little straighter.

"No, it's natural. In fact, it's so natural that no dye except black would work on it. I'm not a fan of all-black hair, so you get the streaks. My mom was a platinum blonde and my dad was a flaming redhead. I guess the genetic balance was evened out enough that they mixed and I got..." She puffed a chunk of hair out of her eyes. "Pink." Hidan chuckled and focused on the hair intertwined in his fingers.

"Hmm..." He mumbled. Sakura pushed her hair over her shoulder, making the strand that Hidan was grasping slip between his fingers and out of his reach. He ignored the slight disappointment that brought.

"What about you?" She said. His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and looked at her curiously. "Your hair. And eyes. They're hardly your typical colors," she explained. Hidan inhaled deeply and let in out through his teeth.

"I guess it's a similar situation. My mom grandmother on my mom's side was albino, and my dad had blue eyes. Add that to the genetic stew and you get a purple-eyed, white-haired psycho," he said. Sakura snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. She forced down giggles so she wouldn't wake the whole camp.

"Genetic stew?" She said. Hidan let his own chuckles escape his throat.

"I'm sorry, that's just...that's just a weird mental picture." She said. Hidan rolled his eyes, but now that he thought about it...

Hidan sighed mirthfully as he sat up. His back popped and bent forward, stretching his arms. Sakura stretched out her legs massaged her neck. The light and airy atmosphere faded and Hidan stood up.

"I've got the next watch. Go get some sleep, we'll get back tomorrow." He said. He looked up at the moon, just a sliver in the sky.

Something big was coming. Moments like those were going to be few and far between.

* * *

**Omake: Dyeing **

Sakura walked through the village, ignoring the looks she got from the people that knew her face on the street. She looked at her shopping list, tuning them out. Cucumbers and leeks; she was almost done.

"Sakura-chan?!" Sakura paused and saw Naruto forcing his way through the crowd. She waited for her best friend to catch up to her.

"Hey Naruto. Do you need something?" She asked.

"You dyed your hair?" He asked. Sakura sighed in irritation. She supposed that she might as well prepare for that question, because she was sure to get it from her other friends all through-out the day.

"It's just streaks Naruto, don't look so surprised," she said. Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head.

"I was gonna say that black looks good on you," he said. Sakura rolled her eyes, but Naruto's grin faded.

"But...is it because teme dumped you? You have been distant lately..." He murmured. Sakura frowned and slugged him on the arm. He flinched and rubbed the new bruise.

"No, I just needed a new style." She turned on heel and stormed off.

"If any guys try and make a move on you, I'll kick their asses for you!" He called after her. Sakura sighed.

_'He is way too interested in my love life for his own good. Pssh, and he can't even see that the perfect girl is right under his nose...baka...'_

* * *

**Author's Corner: I'm already working on the next chapter, and I think you'll guys will like it. *evil grin* And, just a reminder, here's the OC sheet if you guys still want to send one in. **

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Gender:**

**Sexual Orientation:**

**Hair Color:**

**Eye Color:**

**Outfit:**

**Abilities:**

**Clan (if any):**

**Good or Bad?:**

**Brief History: **

**Later guys!**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Corner: Hello my lovelies (I enjoy calling you my lovelies, so get over it). **

**Yay! I got another OC! You know who you are, and your pen names will go into my little hat to be swished around and chosen from. No hard feelings if you don't get chosen, I promise this is all based off chance! **

**Since my computer is jacked up again, updates will be slow, but I nabbing at whatever chance I can get! (I'm writing this at school right now) So savor these updates, as they may be your last...*laughs evilly, petting evil cat***

**Disclaimer: Sasuke is a douche, but he doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

"What do you mean, _Jashinists did it?!_" Tsunade snarled. Naruto shrank back and swallowed nervously.**  
**

"W-well you see, Baa-chan, uh, we found some circles...and the kids...hey Hidan, take it away!" Naruto suddenly vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving Sakura and Hidan to deal with a hungover and cranky Tsunade. The said Hokage sighed wearily and rubbed her temples, and reached for her sake, only to see it wasn't there. She cursed Shizune for hiding her sake stash away.

"Ngh, Sakura, just write out a report and come back to me when the festival ends. Do you know how much paperwork I have to for these kinds of things?!" she grumbled before promptly resting her head on her arms and falling asleep. Sakura sighed inaudibly and slowly backed out, Hidan following her league.

"She needs sleep. Rest is the best cure for a hangover," Sakura whispered. She opened the door for Hidan before stepping out and slamming it as hard as she could. Hidan snickered at the loud groan that came from the other side of the door.

"I thought you said she needed rest." Sakura grinned deviously at that.

"I'm ruthless." She said. Hidan stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her out the door into the cool morning. Winter was approaching, and the daily temperature was dipping into the sixties and fifties more often than not.

"You don't need to remind me." He said. Sakura rolled her eyes and gave a rock a flamboyant kick that sent it soaring into the air.

_Thwack!_

"Ow!" Tatsuki rubbed his head as he appeared from under the roof of a road-side shop. Sakura giggled and kicked another rock at him. Tatsuki had the sense to dodge this one as he walked over to them. Hidan paused and watched the scarred man walk over, swinging a pouch around his finger.

"Must you always injure me whenever we meet?" He huffed. Sakura fingered a kunai and smirked. He gulped and backed up several feet.

"Don't answer that. I wouldn't go down that street though, it's packed. Everyone is scrambling to put finishing touches on the Konoha Festival. You should have heard this one merchant, she cussed worse than a sailor with turrets." He laughed as he threw the pouch up in the air and caught it again. Sakura looked at her watch.

"We only have three hours until the festival starts. Hidan, are you going to go?" She asked. Hidan shrugged. She rolled her eyes.

"After the festival, I'm kicking you out, I want my apartment back," she grumbled to fill the silence. Tatsuki perked up.

"You need a place to stay?" He asked. Hidan eyed him curiously.

"Yeah. Pinky hear is getting impatient," he said as he grinned and jerked a thumb at Sakura. She glared at him.

"Don't call me Pinky," she snapped. Hidan snickered and dodged the swipe of her fist. She dove after him and attempted to get him in a headlock. Tatsuki sighed.

"AH-HEM!" He said loudly. The rough-housing pair paused and looked at him. "So anyways..." He narrowed his eyes at them and they jumped apart. Sakura had had her arms around his shoulders, attempting to get some leverage. It was incredibly hard, as he was a good four or five inches taller than her.

"I was saying that Hidan could crash with me until he can find a place to stay," he said. Sakura blinked and kicked Hidan in the shin. This time, her foot connected. He flinched and shot her a scathing look.

"Thanks. I should get going, Ino is probably going to ambush me-,"

"Damn right I'm going to ambush you!" a new voice yelled. Ino stormed up and hooked her hand around the collar of Sakura's shirt.

"We haven't even went kimono-shopping yet!" Ino proceeded to drag Sakura down the road, and into the swarming crowd Tatsuki had warned them about. Hidan watched this with a blank expression. He sighed and shifted his weight to his other foot.

"Thanks for the offer, I'll take you up on that." Hidan said as Ino's voice and Sakura's complaints merged with the crowd's chatter and faded away Tatsuki grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

"No problem, you can get your stuff over the day after tomorrow. That's when everyone is nursing hangovers and sleeping in after partying for three days straight." Hidan nodded and walked past him.

"Later, Tatsuki," he said, waving his hand lazily without turning around. Hidan vanished as he took to the rooftops, avoiding the crowd. Tatsuki stared after him, a wistful look on his face.

"She's getting better, isn't she?" Tatsuki said, seemingly to no one. Naruto dropped down beside him and stared in the direction Sakura had vanished in. Naruto nodded, while swiping another ball of dango from the thin wooden stick.

"Yeah. I haven't seen her that happy since Sasuke dumped her. Ever since we dug up Hidan she's been more...Sakura...Dango?" Naruto offered the last stick of the said food and Tatsuki swiped it and gulped it down in a single bite.

"Yeah..." He swallowed the sweet and popped the stick in his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully. "I've noticed that to. I know it's because of Hidan. Twenty ryo on them hooking up in the next month." He said. Naruto grinned.

"Fifty ryo in them kissing at the festival." Tatsuki grinned and clasped his hand firmly.

"You're on."

* * *

"Ugh, all the good kimonos are gone because you went on that dumb mission, Forehead," Ino grumbled, sifting through the rack of silk garments. Another kimono was tossed over the door of the changing room Sakura was in.

"Oh shut it Pig, who knows qhat could have happened to those kids if we hand't gone. That one was too big. This one's nice..." Sakura faded into silence and there was a rustle of clothing from in the changing room.

"Touche. Hey, come on out here, I think this one would being out my eyes." Ino pulled one off the rack. She heard the door open and turned to her best friend. She froze, her jaw dropping.

"I like this one. I can get away with just a yukata on underneath. Hey Ino-pig, how 'bout this one?" Sakura twisted left and right. Ino shook her head and smirked deviously. The kimono was a snug fitting and fuschia pink, with a flowery black design sprinkled over it. The sleeves were a little long, drifting a little past her fingers.

"Sold."

* * *

"Hey Hidan." Naruto dropped down on the balcony, making Hidan jump. He lurched for an ink well he had almost tipped over. He sighed and glared at his...yes, friend. You don't hang around Sakura without becoming friends with that blonde.

"What?" He grumbled. Naruto laughed and pushed open the sliding glass door. He stepped in and shut it behind him.

"The festival's gonna start soon, 'ttebayo. You're going aren't you?" He said. Hidan rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Probably not. I'm not one for festival's anyway," he said. Naruto rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his messy yellow hair.

"Of course you are," he said. Hidan narrowed his eyes at the man.

"What's that supposed to..." He drifted off as Naruto held out a scroll. In Naruto's chicken-scratch handwriting was written _Persuasion_ _Devices. _Hidan blinked.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice," he said, slipping his thumb under the end of the paper, preparing to open it. Hidan's widened and he backed up several feet from where he was standing, leaving him next to the far wall. Naruto grinned widely.

"I see we have reached an agreement. I've got some clothes you can borrow," he said.

* * *

"Come _on!_ You're gonna be late! Hurry up Forehead!" Ino nearly yanked Sakura's arm out of it's socket as she tugged her along towards the thick of the festival. Sakura stumbled along, trying to keep from tripping on her brand new kimono.

"I-Ino, slow down!" She hissed. Ino groaned, but slowed her pace a little. Sakura sighed and wrenched her arm from Ino's death grip.

"Urgh, Sakura, if you don't hurry you ass up, I swear, I am going to-"

"Ino-chan! Sakura!" a loud (and familiar) voice made Ino stop her rant and look around for the source of it. Chouji was waving at them besides Ichiraku Ramen with several other familiar faces gathered around him. Ino squealed and dashed over, wrapping her small arms around Chouji torso. He grinned as Sakura sighed and trudged over, much more slowly.

* * *

Hidan dodged as Naruto tried to haul him along again.

"Hidan, I will have Baa-chan castrate you to get rid of that dead-weight that's making you so god damn slow!" Naruto snapped, irritated. Hidan rolled his eyes but side-stepped another pedestrian and caught up with him.

"You're the one who insisted on padlocking your ramen and then lost the key!" He hissed back. Naruto fell silent before chuckling sheepishly. If Hidan had been any other person, he would have groaned.

"Naruto, where have you been?!" Ino yelled. Naruto jumped, but Hidan just rubbed his forehead. They walked up to the ramen stand where everyone was gathered and grinned widely.

"We got a little lost," Naruto tried. Ino smacked him over the head.

"Nice try, Naruto, but you know the entire layout of this village like the back of your hand," she grumbled. He laughed loudly and waved her off. He looked around for Hinata and spotted her standing near the corner of the entrance to the food stand.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" He called out. Hinata jumped before her cheeks turned rosy red. He wadded through the chattering crowd of people to her.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," she said. Ever since they had started dating, Hinata had lost her stutter. He smiled before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, making her blush even more.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" He said. The Konoha 12 was all there, along with the Sand siblings who had arrived a few hours before. They quieted down and looked at him.

"You guys can do whatever you want until midnight, when the fireworks start. Meet me on top of my dad's head then. Grab your dates and let's PARTY!" He yelled. There was a half-hearted cheer from the group as they dispersed.

Naruto kissed Hinata's cheek before walking over to Ino and standing next to her. She asked him to go get her some pocky so she could discuss her master plan with Naruto in relative privacy. They watched Hidan and Sakura for a few minutes. They hadn't spotted each other yet, as the crowd was still too thick. Music blared from a band on a stage several feet away, intoxicating aromas wafted through the air from all the restaurants, and couples were dancing in the street.

"Gah, they are so hopeless!" Ino moaned. Naruto waved for her to quiet down, still focusing intently on Hidan and Sakura.

"Give them a few minutes, let's see if they spot each other. If not, then we can put plan B into action," he said. Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Plan B of what?" she asked.

"Plan B of Operation Get-Hidan-and-Sakura-to-kiss-so-I-don't-lose-a-bet," he said. Ino snorted and stood up from where she had been crouching behind the wall of the ramen stand.

"How much?" She said.

"Fifty ryo on them kissing in the festival," he said. She whistled.

"I'll help you with that if I get half of it," she said. Naruto narrowed his eyes at her.

"Ten." He said.

"Twenty-five," she countered.

"Twenty."

"Fifteen."

"Fine." Ino said as she grinned and slapped him on the back.

"And in sales tax for my services, that will be twenty," she said. Naruto whacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and sighed dramatically. Ino just laughed and vanished into the crowd to find Chouji.

* * *

"This isn't getting us anywhere-" Ino hissed. Naruto waved his hands maniacally to shut her up. Both of them had abandoned their dates once again in favor of spying on the clueless pair that was Hidan and Sakura.

"Shhh! Get behind Sakura, and when I give the signal, push her," he said. Ino opened her mouth to ask, but a dawning realization crossed her face. A devious grin split her face in two, and naruto shuddered slightly.

"Alright."

* * *

Hidan kicked a rock and sighed. He really didn't want to be there.

Sakura picked at the hem on her kimono and sighed. She really didn't want to be there.

A small whistle split through the air.

Suddenly, both of them felt hard shoves against their backs. Sakura stumbled forward, as did Hidan. Sakura cursed her kimono as she tripped forward. _Oh well, _she thought. _This kimono didn't cost that much. _Suddenly, instead of crashing into the ground, she crashed into something warm and soft. It didn't take a genius to realize she had crashed into someone. _  
_

She regained her footing and stepped back so she wasn't leaning so heavily on whoever it was. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat as her eyes met Hidan's.

Hidan watched as Sakura's face turned three different shades of pink and felt his own cheeks grow warm. Sakura had began stuttering out apologies when a wolf whistle tore them from their little world. Sakura looked back at Ino, who was grinning as Chouji threw her apologetic glances.

"Work it girl!" She yelled. Sakura was confused until she realized the position she and Hidan were in. When she crashed into him, his arm had slipped around her waist to rest on the small of her back and the other went to her shoulder to steady her. The resulting pose was...curious. Sakura jumped back and glared at Ino.

"I hate you!" She yelled. Ino just winked and mouthed _'don't screw this up'_. Sakura crossed her arms furiously, trying to calm the raging colors on her face. She was sure she must have looked like a tomato. She heard Hidan clear his throat behind her.

**_'Oh, you've done it now, _****_dumbass!'_**Sakura squashed the voice, but it lingered at the edge of her mind. She sighed and turned around to face the object of her multi-colored face. She was surprised to see his hair wasn't pushed back like usual, but instead flopped over his forehead, past his eyes.

"Um...hi," she said. **_'Ooh, real smooth. What's next, Ex-lax?'_ **Sakura ignored that. To her surprise, Hidan chuckled and ran a hand through his silver locks. He huffed slightly when they fell back in the same position.

"I think they're plotting against us," he said. Sakura snorted and crossed her arms.

"What gave you that idea?" She muttered. Hidan smirked as he took in what she was wearing. The black streaks had been washed out of her hair, and the long tresses were braided in a fishtail braid over her shoulder. Glittery red eyeshadow adorned her eyelids and her scowling lips were traced with lipgloss. Sakura noticed him staring and her cheeks grew red again.

"Ino attacked me with glitter." She grumbled. Hidan reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He smiled at her surprised expression.

"You look nice," he said. Sakura did a very convincing impression of a tomato right then. She scowled and lowered her eyes.

"W-Whatever," she mumbled. Hidan chuckled and withdrew the offensive hand. She huffed and forced most of the color from her face.

"Since I'm stuck here until the fireworks start, how about I be your escort until we can leave?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Sakura laughed and the tension eased from her shoulders.

"Sure. You better have brought your wallet because I'm starving,"" she said. Hidan snorted and looped his arm through hers.

"Then I would call this a date," he said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Eh?!"

* * *

"Be prepared to cough up the ryo, Tatsuki," Naruto snickered.

"Shut up, they haven't kissed yet!" Tatsuki hissed back. Naruto rolled his eyes as he released the henge he had on himself and vanished back into the crowd.

"If that's what you think," he said. Tatsuki scowled furiously as he stormed off.

* * *

**Omake: Boulders and Pebbles **

"Hey Sakura-chan, listen to this," Naruto laughed as he skimmed through Kakashi's book which they had stolen from him. Sakura and Sai were sitting around a fire after a mission. She frowned at him.

"Why are you even reading that? It's perverted and entire unethical," she snapped. Naruto brushed her off and traced a line of words with his finger.

"'If a woman's bra is an over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder than men's underwear is an under-the-butt-nut-hut," Naruto broke out in laughter as Sakura swiped at him.

"That's gross Naruto!" She snarled. Naruto continued snickering, snorting, and giggling, paying no heed to either of his teammates.

"But Sakura's bra would be a pebble holder, not a boulder holder. They're too small for that," Sai put it, sketching out a picture. Naruto broke out in fresh laughter, rolling on his back and tears streaming down his face. Sakura froze and turned around, killer intent surrounding her like a cloud of doom.

"_SAI!_" She roared.

Sai spent the rest of the evening running from a fuming, pink-haired medic.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Another chapter done! Ooh, Hidan is smooth ;D **

**Anyways, I couldn't help but write that omake. I found a post on tumblr that mentioned that and I was literally crying from laughter as I read it. Cheese and crackers, I think I lost a few pounds laughing that much. **

**I will see you later, my lovelies!**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Corner: Hello, my lovely readers and reviewers! This took way too long to finish, so sorry about that. But what have you guys been up to? Probably doing something more productive, I assume? Oh, me? Nah, I've been neglecting life as I hide in my room with a bag of beef jerky, a bottle of root beer, and my iPad. Speaking of which, I would like to give a shout-out to cynchick, who has been my main source of ****entertainment. She is a flipping amazing writer, and I just... Gah, I can't even put it into words. If you're interested, her main pairings are DeiSaku, ItaSaku, and KakaSaku. Don't like, don't read. I saw a Bleach fic too, if you like that. Warning, all of her stories are rated M for a good reason.**

**Anyways, my unhealthy hermit tendencies aside, could someone please hit me on the head really hard with this iron skillet? Right here, right on the noggin. Yep, hard as you can. Right there, concussion immediate. Why, you ask?**

**I FRIGGING FORGOT HIDAN'S SPEECH HABIT! Doesn't he say 'seriously' a lot, kind of like how Deidara says 'un' or 'yeah' (depending on your preferences). I figured that since I'm butchering Hidan's personality so thoroughly that he deserves what little pride I've left him by leaving his annoying (but incredibly sexy) speech habit. Oh well... *sighs* Too late now. I am _so _going to revise this when I'm done. Which still seems such a long ways off. I won't abandon it, I wouldn't do that to you guys, but my enthusiasm has significantly decreased since the beginning. But your lovely reviews are keeping me motivated :D**

**One more thing, before you devour my hard work. How would you guys feel if I added another OC to this story? The poll excluded, a character from MY imagination? I know some of you are pretty anal about that, so that's why I'm bothering to ask, because your opinions really matter to me. There. I said it. My interaction-with-humans time has been spent, so go ahead and ignore the rest of this. **

**Disclaimer: If you've seen it before, you know it's not mine.**

* * *

Two hours passed. Hidan and Sakura had been snatched away by friends and comrades, drinking, dancing, and placing bets on arm wrestling contests. Nobody bet against Sakura. Ever. Eventually, as it loomed nearer and nearer to midnight, things began to die down in anticipation for the fireworks.

And these were no ordinary fireworks. Konoha was legendary for the hour-long explosions show they put on during the Konoha festival. Security was always upped during the festivals due to the amount of people flooding in from everywhere and nowhere to see them.

Sakura had danced with nearly every jonin in the Leaf, from Aoba to Kakashi and everyone in between. She had nearly choked on her sake when she saw Sasuke twirling Hanabi through the streets. He seemed to be really enjoying himself... He even smiled. Sakura might not have forgiven him for trying to kill Naruto (several times for that matter), but she couldn't deny that she still cared for him. Maybe whatever had been broken inside of him when he killed Itachi could be mended. Soon Hanabi was swept away by Izumo, and Sasuke returned to his doom-and-gloom persona once more.

Sakura grinned and set her eighth sake shot down and stumbled slightly as she crossed the street to where Sasuke was leaning against as abandoned stall. She hopped up next to him and he gave her the 'Sasuke' look. Sakura giggled and elbowed him, the sake making her tipsy and daring. For a moment, she forgot her and Sasuke's bad past...

"Hanabi, huh?" She said. Sasuke scowled and crossed his arms. Wait...

"Are you _blushing_?!" Sakura whispered, catching the barely noticeable pink tinge on his face. He shot her a glare, his onyx eyes flashing dangerously. There was something there though. A slight spark in his eyes that she hadn't seen since her genin days. Sakura smiled to herself. Maybe Hanabi could heal him. With her spitfire attitude, she would either heal him, or beat him into being a little less emo...all the time. She slapped his bicep and hiccuped slightly.

"Go get her. Before someone sweeps her off her feet before you can," she said. Sasuke eyed her warily, frowning slightly. Sakura cocked an eyebrow threateningly and Sasuke pushed himself off the stall and weaved into the crowd towards the head of deep brown hair bobbing through it. Sakura smirked.

_**"Damn right...the bastard..."**_Sakura felt her Inner grow still and the mental effects of the alcohol began overwhelming her.

Sakura smiled as she slipped off the stall. Her throbbing feet reminded her of how many guys had stepped on her toes, she she She weaved her way out of the throng of people and made her way to the edge of the circle of the main partying area, where it was quieter. She kicked off her uncomfortable shoes and rubbed her feet tiredly. Alcohol hummed through her body, and her hair was ruffled from so much twirling and fast-paced dancing.

"Done with the dancing, Pinky?" Came a familiar voice. Sakura's head snapped up on instinct before she relaxed and smiled wryly.

"Well, after having Genma step on my feet several times, I decided to take a break. He's having a better time with Shizune anyways," she grinned slyly, thinking of her sibling disciple. And by a better time, she meant shoving their tongues down each other's throats. It was one of the worst-kept secrets in Konoha. Hidan huffed and plopped down next to her.

"Probably," he said. A comfortable silence settled over them, unlike the awkward one where they had been forced to hug by Ino and Naruto. Sakura yawned and rubbed her eyes. Hidan sighed and he leaned back, locking his fingers behind his head. The said man closed his eyes, and Sakura took the chance to study him. His hair was ruffled and unkept, and the first button on his shirt had been popped off. Sakura didn't want to think about what that could mean. He chest moved steadily up and down with slow, even breaths, and she could faintly smell sake on his lips. One eye slowly opened to meet hers. She flinched and stared down at her hand as they began to pick at the hem of her sleeves. Her face got warm and her heart fluttered slightly.

Wait...why was her heart fluttering? And why was it because of Hidan?

Sakura's brow furrowed in thought. _'You look nice.' _Hidan's words echoed through her head, making her troubled. Sure, she had spent maybe an hour on her looks, but that was mostly Ino's fault. Several of the jonin were actually still in their uniforms. You really didn't need to be formal until the last day. But the comment was completely random, out-of-the-blue. Why did she suddenly get these feelings around him?

Sakura was puzzled over her inner turmoil. Probably unknowingly, he had just made her question everything that was going on between them. Sure, he lived with her, but that was just because she was helping rehabilitate him! More and more often, people were asking if they were dating, or when they were going to hook up. Why? They had never bothered in the first few weeks Hidan had been there, but why now? It couldn't be that they were...no, that's ridiculous.

It had been almost half a year since Hidan had been admitted as a Konoha shinobi, and since then things had...changed. Sakura most certainly didn't hate Hidan anymore (even though he could still be an ass), and had even come to_ like _him. He had gone from an untrustworthy missing-nin, to someone she would gladly take a hit for.

And to be honest, it scared her.

She didn't like how close she was getting to him. How he was making her panic whenever he got too close, how he seemed so at ease with her. Everything was just so confusing, and Sakura just wanted to run back home and hide under the covers until everything made sense.

Of course fate had to fuck that up too.

"Alright, the last dance before the fireworks! Ladies, grab your gentlemen, gentlemen, grab your ladies, it's time to slow it down!" Said a shinobi who was controlling the musicians. Even though it was faded because of the distance the two were from the main dancing area, you'd have to be deaf not to have heard it.

"Hmm, the last dance..." Hidan mused, the not bothering to hide what he meant. Sakura immediately backed up and waved her hands around.

"No way, I don't dance! I seriously don't..." She paused as he stood up. He pulled a hand from his pocket and offered it to her. Sakura blinked and stared at it. Hidan smirked in a way that made her heart pump painfully.

"I don't bite," he said playfully.

_"I don't bite." _

Sakura remembered herself saying those exact same words the same day she broke his wrist the first time they had sparred together. She smiled fondly at the memory, and before she knew it, Hidan was pulling her gently to her feet. Sakura's breath hitched slightly and she bit her lower lip out of habit. A habit she thought she had crushed years ago. The fact that it was surfacing now only made her more uncertain.

"O-of course you don't...baka..." Was her mumbled reply. Hidan smirked slightly as his hand wound themselves around her waist and Sakura's hands found their way to his shoulders. She stared fixedly at a wrinkle on his shirt; she refused to meet his eyes as they swayed to the soft, melodic music floating from the stage. Hidan huffed slightly, and Sakura's bangs fluttered slightly. Just a more calm version of what her heart was doing.

"Why are you so tense?" He murmured. His hands flexed slightly from there position on the small of her back. Sakura knew that was a sign of him getting frustrated. His hands clenching were always the first sign that something was troubling him. She had lost count of the number of times she had to heal his hands when he had clenched them while holding onto something sharp or breakable. Sakura wound-up nerves tensed even more. She counted to ten to gain control her emotions so they wouldn't come pouring out...like they had with Sasuke.

"I...I don't what you're t-talking about," she said.

_"Damn it! I stuttered!" _Sakura inwardly cursed herself. Hidan huffed again, but this time it seemed like he was laughing. His hands moved up slightly, and he pulled he closer. So close, she could hear his heartbeat and feel the warmth of his body. Her stomach then decided to take up acrobatics and do backflips in her gut. The silver-haired man's hands settled around her waist again, remaining in a respectful area.

"Right. And while we're at this little game, I think I'll start volunteering at the senior center," he said as he rolled his eyes. Sakura snorted and covered her mouth to stifle the giggles. And just like that, the tension dissolved. She wrapped her arms around his middle and made any space between them vanish. Their dancing had declined to little more than shifting side to side from where they were standing.

"Right. And I'll go home and watch TV all day," Sakura hummed from where her head was resting against Hidan's chest. Chuckles shook her body for a second and Hidan stepped back slightly, so he could look her in the eyes.

"Because you absolutely _aren't _a chronic busy-body," he said. Sakura giggled again and brushed her hair behind her ear again. She noticed curious violet eyes watching her movements carefully. She pouted slightly as she blushed again.

"What?" She mumbled self-consciously, lowering her head slightly. Hidan closed his probing eyes and a smile curled at the corners of his lips. He raised his hand and slowly traced his thumb along her jaw. Sakura reminded herself to breath as she stared at Hidan's closed eyes and entirely calm complexion.

"You have no idea..." He murmured and he pressed his forehead against hers. "...How hard you make it..." Slowly, he brought his lips down to the hollow of her ear. They ghosted over the smooth skin and shivers raced down her back.

"...For me to keep my hands off of you." Sakura gasped slightly as he moved both hands to the nape of her neck and pulled back again. His eyes smoldered with something that made her insides melt to her toes. Sakura froze, unable to do much more than blink and breathe.

He kissed her.

His lips gently pressed themselves against hers. Hesitantly, as if gauging her reaction. He didn't deepen the kiss, nor did he pull away. Sakura's eyes fluttered shut. The battle of wills lasted all of ten seconds. Her hands smoothed over his biceps, to his shoulders, to-

**_"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"_ **Sakura jumped nearly a foot in the air and abruptly tore herself from Hidan's grasp and took several steps back.

_"Oh my god..." _Hidan blinked and looked at her worriedly. Tears sprung to Sakura eyes at the look on his face. _"Oh my_ god. _Please tell me I didn't just do that._"

_**"You just kissed Hidan...You just kissed HIDAN."**_

_"No need to clarify it! Oh my god, what have I done? This...this isn't supposed to happen. I don't..." _She took another step back. She felt so sick to her stomach, she thought she was going to throw up.

"I-I'm sorry... I...I didn't-" Sakura hiccuped, turned on her heel, and sprinted off, and the darkness quickly swallowed her up. Hidan swore loudly and he rammed the heel of his palm into his forehead, clenching his fist in his hair.

"God dammit!" He yelled. Of course, no one heard him. Those who had chose to ignore him.

_"I am a complete and total bastard,__" _He thought. _"I took it too fast...God, why am I such an IDIOT?!" _He bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed. He looked up, panic filling his chest.

"Dammit, dammit, _dammit!_" He kicked off his shoes before sprinting off after the pinkette. "Sakura!" He yelled. No answer. He pumped chakra into his legs, hoping to catch up to her before everything he had unconsciously built with her over the past few months shattered. He came to the edge of the village and the landscape turned to forest. He traced her chakra towards one of the training fields.

_"I probably just ruined everything..." _

* * *

Tears flowed freely down Sakura's face as she leaped from tree branch to tree branch towards the most secluded spot she could think of. The small creek came into view and she nearly crashed into a tree trunk. She fell to her knees and brought her hands to her face. Sobs wracked her body, and she cried shamelessly.

"Oh God..." She choked out. She clutched her chest and dug her nails into the tree bark. The carefully manicured nails cracked, and began bleeding. She barely felt the pain, the one swelling in chest completely overshadowing that in her hand. She released the death grip on the front of her kimono and clamped them over her lips. Oh gods, she could still _feel _him there! The hint of sake and his own unique taste. She sobbed harder.

Everything was going to hell. She wasn't supposed to...to...

_**"Sakura...?" **_

_"SHUT UP!" _Inner wisely fell silent again. Even the brash, violent side of her knew when it wasn't a smart idea to poke fun at someone.

"I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO LOVE HIM!" Sakura yelled. She clutched her head, pulling at her hair. Her hair tie came loose and her thick hair fell over her shoulder in stringy, messy strands.

She was afraid. Terrified even.

After so carefully building up her walls so that what happened with Sasuke would never happen again, Hidan just waltzed into her life and managed to worm himself through every single one of them. And then the bastard went and made her fall in love with him...

Sakura shook her head from side to side, biting her lips to keep from screaming again, though that last burst made her throat burn. She hiccuped with sobs as the truth was shoved into her face. She guessed Fate had just gotten fed up with her blindness and decided to force her to open her eyes.

She loved him.

She loved the way he over-trained, she loved the fights he would pick with Naruto, she loved the drinking contests she had with him, she loved his brashness, his clumsiness, the fact that when she dug deep enough, he was kind. She loved the serenity that surrounded him when he slept, she loved how he was never afraid of arm wrestling contests with her (even though he lost all of them), she loved his temper, his idiocy, his imperfection. She loved _him. _

And oh God, did it hurt.

"_Sakura..._" Sakura jumped as the faint voice drifted through the trees. She hiccuped again, and roughly wiped away her tears, cursing herself for not masking her chakra.

"_Sakura...!_" Sakura forced herself to her feet, but she barely had the will to. her legs wobbled beneath her. She had forced out nearly half of her chakra, trying to get away from him as fast as possible, her reserves were having trouble keeping up with the drain. She swore again, punching the tree out of frustration. It toppled against her pent-up frustration. After a loud crash, everything was silent again.

"Sakura...!" His voice was getting louder, but she couldn't bring herself to run. Suddenly, she heard a branch snap. Hers eyes snapped open and she glance around.

"Who's there?" She snapped. Her emotions were running high and she wasn't in the mood for people. Slowly, two people emerged from the foliage. Sakura's eyes widened in fear as their silver hair glistened in the moonlight.

"J-Jashinists..." She whispered. She scooted back, knowing full well she couldn't fight them. Two men grinned and stared down at her.

"Damn right, girl." The taller one said.

"We're here for Hidan...but I suppose we could have fun with a pretty thing like you," the other said, bending down and roughly grabbing Sakura's face and twisting this way and that. Sakura growled and sank her teeth into his hand. The man didn't even flinch. Blood dripped down his hand. The man just inhaled deeply and licked his lips.

"Mmm..." he hummed. "Kirai, go find Hidan, I'll...take care of things here." The other one (now identified as Kirai) snickered and prepared to run.

"Save some for me, Erai," he said. Sakura released Erai's hand and went to backhand him. He leaned back, but her nails still raked across his chin.

"Get the fuck away from me, I'm not in the mother fucking mood," she snarled. She frowned as he laughed. "What the hell do you want with Hidan, anyways?!" She snapped. Erai cocked an eyebrow, before catching her by the throat and lifting her into the air. Sakura gagged and struggled, clawing at the Jashinists hand. Sakura glared down at him. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of black pants, and a black cape that revealed a bare chest. Must be a Jashinist thing.

"We're bringing our God back, you heathen!" He said, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. Sakura's eyes widened as her vision began to dim. There was a crash to her right and Hidan crashed into a tree. Kirai dropped down next to him.

"Ooh, that was too fucking easy!" He said. He giggled and kicked Hidan in the gut. He doubled over, coughing up blood. He just seemed to notice Sakura and his eyes widened.

"Sak-!" Before he could finish, Kirai aimed a roundhouse kick at his head, knocking him out cold. Erai dropped Sakura, and she gasped for air. One good scream, that's all she needed.

"HELP!" She howled. _BOOM! _A firework exploded above them, drowning out her call for help. Erai looked up and smirked as a hot ember land on his open palm. He clenched it in his hand, and his flesh sizzled. He hummed slightly.

"Ecstasy..." He murmured. Sakura glared up at him. He crouched down in front of her, a totally insane look in his eyes.

"Bye, bye..." He said, waving. That was the last thing she heard before blacking out completely as something hard hit her in the back of the neck.

* * *

**Omake: Broken**

There was nothing left of her.

Oh, she could fake it pretty well. In fact, Sakura faked it so well, not even Naruto noticed the fact that she was just an empty shell. Shikamaru eyed her with a critical eye as she walked down the street.

Broken. That's the only way to describe her.

She never let on how much her and Sasuke's break-up had affected her. That mask never wavered, always standing strong. Sakura smiled and waved to a passing civilian. They stopped and talked for a while. Sakura was smiling the whole time.

Shikamaru grimaced and lit another cigarette. He took a long drag. He eyed her wearily as she finished talking with the women and continued walking. That was all she did. She _continued. _She didn't live, she didn't love, and her laughs were fake. The only thing she did was survive.

Shikamaru was slightly fearful that she wouldn't be able to be fixed. She had been broken before, but that was what marked her as strong; her ability to pick up the pieces and glue them back together was what made her _Sakura. _Only someone special would be able to help put her back together.

Shikamaru just had to hope they wouldn't break her too.

* * *

**Author's Corner: I AM FINALLY DONE! Gah! This took so long because halfway through, I didn't like it, so I deleted most of it. Come on, my fellow writers, we have done this at least once. And if you haven't...*gets down on knees and bows* Teach me your ways, O Master of the Plot. **

**Haha, anyways, LAST CHANCE TO SEND IN AN OC! I AM TOTALLY SERIOUS THIS TIME! Next chapter will feature whichever OC that wins, so...yeah. I've gotten some great ones so far, and it's already hard to choose. **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Corner: Oh my god guys, I feel horrible. My self-confidence is shot. I am not even joking, I've never felt so horrible in my life. I had auditions for try-outs for a theatre group in my school and...oh god, I feel sick to my stomach even thinking about. The first day of try-outs, my partner bailed on me, so I had to go home and memorize a monologue to use tomorrow and...well, this is what my teacher said afterwards.**

**Teacher: "*insert name here*, repeat after me."**

**Me: "...?"**

**Teacher: "I have no idea why I chose that monologue..."**

**Me: *Repeats* **

**Teacher: "And thank you so much, Mrs. *insert name here* for giving me a second chance."**

**Me: *Repeats***

**I ended up doing a duet scene with one of the judges, but I still can't breathe right, two days later. I really liked that teacher and to hear her criticize me so blatantly...it hurt. Oh gods, I wanted to die the entire time. *Rubs temples* **

**This is like that all-time low that only comes once in a blue moon. MY SELF-CONFIDENCE IS SMALLER THAN EDWARD ELRIC. Jesus fuck, I...**

**Help. **

**Disclaimer: *Sobs quietly* Really? Must you smash my dreams once more?**

* * *

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

Every fiber of her being was on fire with white-hot pain. Sakura vaguely heard herself breathing, and her medic-mode kicked in. Bones ground against each other, and every breath felt like a thousand knives, so she knew had broken a few ribs. From the pressure on her right side, she was lying on her side on something cold and hard. A small breeze drifted over her. It was intensified as it hit the fresh blood sticking to her side. That's where a majority of the pain was coming from, so it didn't take a genius to realize her flank had been attacked. Her chakra levels were low, but slowly coming back to her.

_"Open your eyes...open them...open 'em, god dammit!" _She thought. She twitched her fingers. Then she flexed them. Alright, two broken knuckles, not bad. With more effort than should have been necessary, she forced her eyes open. She blinked several times to clear them. It was dark. She took in her surroundings. It looked like she was in some kind of cave. No...she was in a cell. Black steel bars made up almost the entire wall to her left. A tiny bar (also outfitted with metal bars) stood around ten feet in the air. It was more for ventilation than any source of light. In fact, the only light came from a torch outside the cell. Sakura coughed and tasted blood in her mouth. Her chest spasmed and pain wracked her body.

"One step at a time, Sakura. Try sitting up," Sakura muttered to herself. The pinkette tried moving her arms only to realize...they were bound behind her back. That must have been why her wrist were sore. The kunoichi took a slow, shallow breath, trying not to aggravate her broken ribs. She let it out and dredged up what little chakra she had. It was hard without her hands, but slowly, she channelled it to her ribs. Puncturing a lung wasn't high on her list of things-to-do.

It took a long time, too long for comfort. She wormed her knees underneath her and pushed herself up, so she was finally sitting. Now that she had better leverage, she worked on fixing her side. Sakura grunted furiously as she realized her kimono had been stripped, leaving her in just a thin, white yukata.

"Idiot. You just had to get yourself captured," she grumbled. When she focused, memories began surfacing. She had woken up a while later, being dragged along by two rough hands.

"God damn, this chick is fat," grunted one. Calling upon her memory, Sakura realized that it was Erai.

"Who the hell are you calling fat?!" She had snarled. Survival instincts kicked in, and she thrashed wildly. Sakura grinned to herself as she remembered the satisfying crunch of his nose cracking under her foot. But then they pulled out scythes and things went downhill from there. Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Baka..." She mumbled. She squirmed slightly, testing the gash in her flank. It had scabbed over, but was still raw red and very fragile. She didn't waste any time in moving to the lump on her right temple. Her vision swam and she jerked upright as she began to tilt.

"Shit!" She cursed. _"Come on...just a little more..." _Sakura growled in her mind. She couldn't be stumbling around with a concussion in an enemy base.

That's right!

She had been knocked out again after only fighting for a moment, but not before she recognized her surroundings. The last time she was conscious, she was nearly thirty miles outside of the village. Nobody would be looking for her for at least two days, not with the festival going on.

Her chakra reserves were empty again, but the worst of her injuries were gone. She was sore and stiff from several bruises, she couldn't use her monster strength because of her broken knuckles, and a cut on her forehead blinded her left eye, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She tugged on her bindings, only to realize she was chained to the wall behind.

"I've made a mess of everything, haven't I?"

Sakura jumped, and sharp flashes of pain made spots dance behind her eyes. When they cleared, she noticed Hidan chained to the wall on the other side of the cell. He was hunched over, his shirt was gone, and black and blue bruises decorated his torso like grotesque tattoos. His head was bowed, so she couldn't see his eyes. Sakura huffed.

"Wasn't your fault..." Sakura said quietly. Hidan remained silent. Sakura smirked wryly.

"Don't beat yourself up-"

"That's already been done for me," he replied. Sakura chuckled.

"Let me rephrase that. Don't feel so guilty, this was partly my fault too. Konoha is often attacked during the festival because of the number of shinobi that take those days off. I should have been more alert to my surroundings. I should have-" Her throat burned, but the medic refused to cry.

"I should have known they would come after me," he said. Sakura blinked. Hidan turned his head away, and his shackles clinked in protest. "I should have known that they would try and get me back when they realized I was back in action. And now we're both trapped at the Temple." Sakura tiled her head in confusion.

"Temple?" She asked. Hidan sighed and adjusted his position so that he was cross-legged instead of kneeling.

"Yeah. On the very edge of the Land of Fire. It's a hidden Temple for Jashin; I spent eight years here. This is one of the holding cells underground, for where sacrifices are kept until they're...needed." He said. Sakura's gut twisted nervously.

"Ooh, you're very smart, mm-hmm." Hidan and Sakura's head snapped towards the door. Where he hadn't been there seconds before, a man was crouching in front of the door. A light smile was plastered on his face, his eyes turned up and closed. Sakura frowned as she studied the man. His silver hair marked him as a Jashinists, but unlike the others, he seemed...polite almost. His hair was pushed back, with a long strand falling loose (imagine Aizen from Bleach). Though the smile reminded Sakura eerily of Sai. Sakura's instincts were screaming at her to get as far away from this man as possible, but the chains were kind of prohibiting that. Hidan eyes the newcomer warily.

"You're new." He stated. The man tilted his head to the right, eyeing Hidan through the bars. His smile never wavered.

"Correct. I just joined a couple months ago, mm-hmm." He said. He raised his hands to his temple in a loose salute. "Yo. Katsumi's the name." Sakura blinked several times. This was...weird...to say the least.

"What do you want?" Hidan growled. Katsumi shrugged. His black cloak swished slightly, revealing a bare chest underneath. Yep. Definitely a Jashinsit thing.

"No reason. I just wanted to see what the big fuss was about. You don't look like much, mm-hmm. You sure you're the reincarnate of Jashin-sama?" He said cheerfully. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Nope. I'm just Gifted." He said. For the first time, Katsumi opened his eyes. Coal black orbs looked on with surprise.

"Really? That's interesting, mm-hmm. Well, good-bye then." He waved...

And vanished.

Sakura looked at Hidan, who seemed troubled.

"I don't like him." The two said in unison. Sakura smirked. Hidan met her eyes for the first time since she had awoken. Sakura snorted in a very unladylike manner. Hell, since when was anything she did ladylike?

"He's...odd. And I feel like I've met him somewhere before..." He mumbled. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You have to look underneath the underneath." She said, nodding. Hidan smirked, sighed, and closed his eyes.

"This is so fucked up." He breathed.

"You can fucking say that again." Sakura jumped again. God dammit! Why did did the world insist on trying to give her a heart attack?!

"And you are...?" Hidan drawled, looking across the hall to the cell in front of them. Sakura squinted into the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she was slowly able to make out a person in the cell. She was leaning against the right wall, towards the front of the cell. The figure yawned and leaned in slightly, so the light caught her.

Long, cobalt blue hair was piled on top of her head in a messy ponytail. Some of the strands that had fallen loose framed her face, wrapped in beads and tipped with feathers. Exotic green eyes watched them from behind her own bars. Various piercings in her nose, ears, stomach, and tongue glistened in the low light as she spoke. She wore a mesh shirt under a black crop top with a hood and a short, uneven skirt made of animal fur. She had two dagger holsters were strapped to her thighs, but both were empty. She also had tribal bracelets circling her biceps, knee-high brown leather boots, and fingerless leather gloves. Bruises peppered her skin, along with several cuts and she was cradling her left hand. Her lip was split and she was horribly skinny.

"Teraana Cross. Tera is fine." The look she gave them didn't give them a choice in the matter of her name. Sakura's heartstrings pulled slightly. She was obviously beautiful, but starvation, torture, and a lack of showers had worn her ragged. Her clothes were ripped and the dark shadows under her eyes proved her to be exhausted.

"I'm Sakura Haruno. That's Hidan," Sakura jerked her head at Hidan. Tera nodded and looked away from them; she chose to stare at the ceiling instead. Sakura bit her lip hesitantly.

"How long have you been here?" She asked cautiously. Tera eyed her, her brows furrowed slightly.

"I lost track at three weeks. Probably around a month now," she replied. Sakura tugged experimentally at her shackles. They rattled angrily, grinding against the chains. She focused on them.

"Hey Hidan...do the Jashinists take care of these things much?" Sakura asked off-handedly. Hidan cocked an eyebrow.

"Not very often, no," he said. Sakura grinned deviously, already feeling the familiar pre-battle adrenaline coursing through her veins; an idea began forming in her mind. Suddenly, her sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps. Tera heard it too and retreated to the back of her cell. Sakura went limp, bowed her head, and played the 'scared-girl' face. Hidan sneered, but forced himself to relax. Sakura heard the footsteps get closer and she forced herself to be calm. Jashinsists were idiots. Yes, they were strong, but if Hidan's past-self was any indication, they blindly followed their god and words like 'common sense' and 'tactics' meant nothing to them.

Sakura peeked through her bangs as four shadows danced across the stone walls, growing ever closer. Sakura fought the urge to rattle her chains eerily, like a poltergeist. She reigned in every once of self-preservation she had and waited.

"So...you two are awake..." Sakura bit her lip to force down a gasp. Her neck tingled and a shiver ran up her back. Her heart skipped a beat and fear dug it's claws into her gut. Any and all self control abandoned her and she trembled with fear.

"Hmm. Amane...unlock the door," the man said. Sakura couldn't even raise her head to look at the man who was having such a profound effect on her.

"Yes, my Lord," said the man. Sakura swallowed thickly and forced her head up to glare at the source of her fear. A lock clicked and the cell doors screeched as they were pushed open. Sakura swallowed the bile in her throat as she stared at the man. A man in his late teens was kneeling next to him. Unlike the other people she had seen so far, this man's hair was sandy brown and wavy. His head was bowed in respect towards the man who strode slowly into the cell. The other two people who had come with them were also kneeling outside the cell. It was Erai and Kirai. Sakura glared at them, but for once, they were silent.

"Hidan...it has been a long time..." He said. Sakura shuddered at the sound of the man's voice.

It was like a knife sliding across stone.

* * *

**Omake: Opposites Attract **

Tatsuki pouted as he sat on the roof of a restaurant. He looked down at the crowd of people slow-dancing. It seemed that everyone but him had a girlfriend. He sighed forlornly as he spotted his friend below, having fun at the Festival with their sweethearts.

First he noticed Chouji and Ino. Chouji easily lifted Ino off her feet as he twirled her around happily. Tatsuki retched slightly as he remembered walking in on them kissing. But he was happy for them. Even though Ino's dad was an old family friend of Tatsuki's father, Ino and Tatsuki hadn't met until Tatsuki was sent to interrogate a missing nin from Grass and Ino was charged with keeping the victim awake while he...persuaded him.

Then he saw Sasuke and Hanabi. He nearly choked on his dango as he stared at them. They were completely different! Sasuke was and ass and Hanabi was...well...really, really violent when she wanted to be. He sighed irritably. If even Sasuke got himself a _real _girlfriend, then Tatsuki was in worse shape then he thought.

Shikamaru and Temari were the next couple to enter his visual range. Shikamaru had hit a growth spurt and was now a few inches taller than Temari, making it funny to watch as he bent over to kiss her. Temari had to stretched up to meet him. Tatsuki snickered aloud as he remember when Naruto had surprised them, making them knock heads. Tatsuki had been rich that week, as naruto had bribed him to lure the fuming blonde away from him long enough to find a reasonable hiding place.

And then there was Naruto and Hinata. Tatsuki rolled his eyes as Naruto grinned wildly and danced with his girl. Honestly, the whole village had seen it coming. In fact, when Naruto had been running up to Hinata to tell her something, an old lady had tripped him, causing him to crash into the Hyuuga. "About damn time!" The granny had said before huffing and hobbling off. That was a sight to see.

Tatsuki sighed and stood up. Well, if opposites really _did _attract...

Tatsuki gulped as he eyed the girl though the crowds. He didn't know whether to go after Nanani...or to hide from her.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Wow...I got this done really fast. I bet all of you are pissed about the last chapter to have taken so long, but I was forced to go Amish for a week due to...reasons (*cough cough* rotten siblings *****cough cough*). Anyways, Tera was the OC that won the contest. I might draw my interpretation of her sometime and put it on my deviantART if any of you are confused on what she looks like. **

**HOORAY FOR THE OC-NESS! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ・。*。✧・゜゜・。✧。*・゜゜・✧。・ ゜゜・。*・。*。✧・゜。*。✧・゜゜・ 。 ✧ 。 * ・゜゜・✧。・ ゜゜・。*・。*。 ✧・ ゜。 *。 ✧・ ゜゜・。✧。*・゜゜・✧。・ ゜ ゜・。 *・。 *。✧ ・゜。*。✧・゜゜・。✧。* ・゜゜・ ✧。・ ゜゜・ 。*・。*。✧・゜。 *。✧・゜ ゜・。✧。 *・゜゜・ ✧。・ ゜゜ ・。*・。* 。✧・゜。* 。✧・゜゜・ 。✧。*・゜ ゜・ ✧。・ ゜゜・。* ・。*。✧・゜ 。*。✧・゜ ゜ ・。✧。*・ ゜゜・✧。・ ゜゜・。 *・。 *。✧・゜ 。*。 ✧・゜゜・。✧。* ・゜゜・✧。・ ゜゜・。* ・。*。✧・゜。*。 ✧・゜゜・。✧。 *・ ゜゜・✧。・ ゜゜・。*・ 。*。✧・゜ 。*。✧・ ゜゜・。✧。 *・゜゜・ ✧。・ ゜ ゜・。*・。*。 ✧・゜。 *。。*。✧・゜ ゜・。✧ 。* ・゜゜・✧。・ Sayonara!**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Corner: *Sigh* We've come so far, haven't we? Wow...eighteen chapters. If we can get 75 reviews by chapter 20, I will...do something. Actually, I will post some yummy HidaSaku ****fanart! Come on, I have yet to see a single piece of HidaSaku fanart...that I enjoy. **

**Anyways, enough about me, let's... *waves arm magically*...go on an adventure!**

**Disclaimer: I am going to save up a billion dollars and buy Naruto from Kishimoto-sama! So far I have six pennies, a dime, and a ball of fuzz. **

* * *

Sakura snuck a glance at Hidan while focusing on recovering her chakra as fast as possible. Her shoulders were trembling, and she could barely fight the rising bile in her throat. The man wasn't dressed like the others. He wore a formal kimono of a black fabric and had his hands clasped under his long sleeves in front of him. This man was insanely powerful. Sakura hadn't felt such a powerful aura since she had fought Sasori.

Hidan's face was set with a dark rage. His hands shook slightly, but it was more because of the fact her was clenching his fists so hard, his nails bit into his hand. Blood flowed slowly down his palm. His jaw flexed as he glared at the man.

"Hasn't it...Hidan?" He said. Suddenly Hidan flinched and doubled over. He thrashed wildly against the chains attaching him to the wall. He didn't scream, but it was obvious he was in a lot of pain. Sakura looked from Hidan to the frustratingly calm man who was grinning slightly.

"Stop it!" Sakura screamed. The leader (as that's what he obviously was) lifted his head slightly and glanced in her direction; it was like he had just noticed her.

"Ho? And who are you?" He said. Sakura gulped and stared him defiantly in the eyes.

"S-"

"Sachiko!" Hidan gasped out. He raised his head and stared hard at Sakura. She blinked. Sakura sneered and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I can introduce myself, idiot!" She snapped. She looked back at the man, her fear already ebbing away with every ounce of chakra coming back to her.

"My name is Sachiko Hayashi," she said. Sakura didn't know why she was faking her name, but from the way Hidan breathed a slow sigh of relief, she knew it was important he believed her.

"Sachiko...not very fitting..." He said. Sakura wanted to roll her eyes at him, but common sense told her not to. He tilted his head slightly as he stared at her. Sakura was alarmed to feel something prodding at her mind. Immediately, she visualized a brick wall. It was technique Ino taught her to ward off mind attacks of enemy nin. After a few seconds, the man sneered lightly.

"It seems you are more powerful than your image suggests." He said. A trace of distaste was laced into his deadly voice. Sakura fought a frown from worming its way onto her face. Her temper was rising, but this was one time where it couldn't get the better of her. The man closed his eyes in a minute show of impatience.

"Furthmore, I have no interest in you...Hidan." He turned to face the said man again. Hidan glared at him. Sakura expected him to do whatever he had done before to hurt him again. Instead...instead, he _laughed. _

"I can assume that that glare means you will not subject your Gift?" He said. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"What the fuck do you think?!" He snapped. The man calmed quickly, returning to the calm, deadly persona he had taken up most of the time he had been in here. He brought his hand out of his sleeve for the first time. He raised his hand...and beckoned. It was just a slight twitch of his fingers, but Erai and Kirai jumped up immediately and rushed to stand next to him. Amane remained kneeling.

"Erai...Kirai...let's see if you can persuade these two into..._assisting _us, will you?" He said. Sakura knew exactly what that meant...and with two Jashinists, it was bound to be painful.

"Yes, my Lord," they said in unison. The man turned and walked swiftly out of the cell, as if eager to get out. No doubt that's exactly what it was. The slimy bastard...

"One hundred each," the man called from a distance down the hall. Sakura didn't like the sound of that. Eari and Kirai chuckled stupidly. Eari walked out of the cell, reached for something out of sight on the wall...and brought back a whip. Two of them.

They were stiff, leather cat o' nine tails. And from the dried blood on them, they had obviously been used before...many times. Sakura took and deep breath and glared at Kirai and Erai. She lifted her chin up proudly and prepared to face them. Neither Sakura nor Hidan were strong enough to make a big escape attempt, so they would settle for sneaking out when they were alone. Sakura's plan would work when they could slip by unnoticed. Erai handedly one of the whips to Kirai who advanced on Hidan, while Erai went for Sakura.

"Stop."

Sakura gasped lightly. Hidan was sitting up and glaring at Erai, ignoring Kirai. He was panting slightly and one eye was screwed shut with pain. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead and didn't seem like he could put up much of a fight.

"Psh, why should we, fuckin' athiest?!" Erai snapped at him. Hidan grinned.

"Like it or not, this was an order from Him. When involving two victims, one can choose to bear the punishment of the other. I choose to bear her punishment." He said. Erai glanced at Kirai. Erai whispered something to Kirai. Kirai snapped something back. They turned back to Hidan and Sakura.

"Tch. Word for word. Fine. But don't think that it will be any more fun of you, Hidan," Kirai said cockily. Sakura's lungs were still trying to figure out how to work as she stared at Hidan. He smiled sheepishly at her before Erai's and Kirai hulking forms blocked him out. Sakura opened her mouth to scream at him, to tell him he was being an idiot, to yell that she could take care of herself.

Yet nothing came out.

_Crack!_

Sakura flinched violently as the whip came down the first time.

"One down..." said Erai.

"One-hundred ninety-nine to go!" Finished Kirai gleefully. Sakura bit her lip and bent her head low. Hatred bubbled inside of her. A white-hot rage that was threatening to unleash itself right then. The small part of her that was still sane...was crying.

_"Hidan, I could have taken care of those guys!" Sakura said indignantly. Hidan sighed and stretched from his position on the tree branch. Great. Everything was so peaceful until Sakura woke up. He had to say he missed the weight of her head in his lap. _

_"Not then. There were too many," he replied evenly. Sakura stiffened angrily and stood up, her fists on her hips. _

_"You're mocking me!" She hissed. The others were still sleeping and she didn't want to wake them. _

_"No. I'm just worried." He said. Sakura's rage-mode abruptly died right then. Her shoulders sagged slightly out of surprise. Hidan huffed. Suddenly, he reached out and snatched Sakura's injured hand, the one he had wrapped the night before. Before Sakura could protest, he pressed his lips to her knuckles. _

_"Please. Just trust me when it comes to them. I know the most about them, and I know that they would have killed you then. Just trust me when I make decisions about them, alright?" He said. Sakura furiously worked on regaining her ability to speak before pulling her hand back and plopping down next to him on the branch. She sat rigidly with her arm crossed and an angry pout on her face. _

_"F-fine..." she grumbled. "But only when it comes to them, got it?!" She bared her fist at him. Hidan smirked and rolled his shoulder around. _

_"That's all I ask." _

Sakura's shoulders bucked slightly. She fought down both the tears and the urge snap the chains right then.

_Crack! _

Her hands trembled as she clenched them tightly. Her nails broke the skin on her palm and they stung smartly.

_"This is what you meant when you said to trust you, didn't it?" _Sakura thought angrily.

_Crack! _

With every snap of the whip, Sakura flinched. With every grunt of pain and barely concealed scream of agony, she ground her teeth together.

_Crack! _

It seemed like hours before Erai finally announced the words, "Two hundred!" Before cackling maniacally. Sakura's chakra reserves were nearly half-full by then, but she was looking more as half-empty by then. Erai snickered and he stepped back, allowing Sakura to see Hidan again. Right then, she wished she hadn't looked.

A dangerous amount of blood had pooled to his sides and he had bitten his lip so hard, it bled. He was slouching forward as far as his manacles would allow him to. The smell of blood was thick in the air, making her stomach roll sickeningly.

"And we'll be back tomorrow too! Oh, we are going to have so much fun with you guys!" Erai said happily. Sakura didn't bother to mask the hatred in her withering glare as they laughed and slapped each other on the back. Hidan's blood had spattered on their faces, but they didn't seem to care. And then Kirai calmly brother the whip's many tails to his lips and _licked _it. Sakura growled ferally. Kirai just laughed and stalked out of the cell. Sakura followed them with predatory eyes as they left. The second their footsteps were out of ear-shot, Sakura gave a mighty jerk and the manacle ripped free from the wall.

"Hidan!" She cried. She flew across the stone floor and right to the object of her attention. Tears swam in her eyes, blurring her vision. She wiped them away furiously and grabbed him by the shoulders. His strength was gone, so she forced him to sit up.

"Hidan! Can you hear me? Hidan!" She hissed. Hidan's eyes rolled around in their sockets before focusing blearily on Sakura. His brow furrowed with pain before his eyes fluttered shut. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and channelled her chakra into her fingertips. She pushed her chakra into his body and closed her eyes in concentration. She panicked slightly as she realized hypovolemia was beginning to set in. His immortality would overcome that naturally but it would make escaping a hell of a lot harder. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

_"Focus, Sakura. You are a medic, you can help him." _She thought severely.

**_"Don't forget you're a geek,"_ **Inner added. Sakura snorted softly before guiding her chakra to his back. Her chakra flared as she began knitting his flesh closed. Sweat beaded on her brow as she felt his welts clot and scab over. She cursed slightly as she realized there was an anticoagulant on the whip.

It took longer than she would have liked, but she forced all of the anticoagulant out of his bloodstream and managed to get the welts to scab up and the bleeding to finally stop. She directed her chakra next to his spinal column. She sped up the production of blood cells. She let out a long breath of relief as she felt his blood levels slowly rise to normal. She stopped the flow of chakra after doing a quick check to be sure everything was okay.

She looked worriedly down at Hidan's face. After several nerve-wracking seconds, his eyes fluttered open. He blinked several times before pulling his weight off of her. He rose back onto his knees and he looked at her.

And _smiled. _

Quick as flash, she lashed out and backhanded him across the face.

"Bakamono!" She yelled. Hidan's eyes were wide with surprise as his head snapped to the left. Then she grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Don't you dare smile at me...not when I was so worried about you," she whispered and she buried her face in his chest. Hidan huffed and let his head fall limp against her collar. He breathed out a long sigh. He hummed slightly as he leaned into the embrace.

"Hmm...Sorry." He mumbled. "Those guys hit hard." He said, as if that explained everything. Sakura was careful as she reached behind him and yanked his chains out of the wall. With his wrists freed he wrapped his arms around Sakura and pulled her close.

"You know, this is very touching and all, but you're kind of making me sick." Tera said suddenly. Sakura jumped and pulled away from Hidan. Her cheeks were tinted red as she glared at Tera.

"Oh, shut up," Sakura snapped. Tera smirked and leaned into the light again. Her emerald eyes flashed ferally.

"Or what? You don't look too tough yourself, princess," she said. A tick appeared on Sakura's forehead and she flushed angrily.

"You'd be surprised," Hidan stepped in, easily seeing this escalate into a fight. Sakura huffed. She stood up and pried the rusty manacles off her wrist. She looked at the scrapes that had their way into her flesh.

"This is so going to escalate into tetanus." She murmured to herself. She wiped her thumb across the raw skin and as she did, the cuts vanished. Hidan wordlessly help out his wrists for her to pry off the iron rings still hanging from them. As she did so, Hidan looked troubled.

"There's a lot of them. And most of them are awake too. Are you sure we can get out of here?" He said, answering the question she had been just about to ask.

"How many?" She said. Hidan closed his eyes, winced, and opened them.

"Well over fifty," he stated. Sakura bit her lip. The only reason they had been able to get Hirohito out of the camp had been because Tatsuki had caused...

"A diversion!" Sakura said suddenly. Hidan looked at her curiously.

"This will work if we can get a diversion," she said. Hidan frowned.

"Clones aren't very good for causing explosions," he said. Sakura sighed and sat down on the floor. She looked at the pool of blood that still stained the floor. She shifted slightly before crawling to it.

"What are you doing?" Hidan said worriedly.

"Testing a theory." Was the only answer he got. Hidan watched silently as she brushed her fingertips in the sticky red substance, staining them red. She pulled up her sleeve and began writing on her forearm. There was a rattling of chains from Tera's cell. Hidan glanced over and saw her sitting up and clutching the bars of her cell, watching Sakura almost curiously.

"Hidan...you've never met my Inner, have you?" Sakura said distractedly as she continued to mark her skin with her impromptu ink source. Hidan blinked and sat down.

"I'm sorry, your _what_?!" He said. Sakura smirked as she focused intently on her forearm.

"Inner. Everyone calls her Inner Sakura. Haven't you noticed that everyone starts getting terrified when I get pissed?" She said. Hidan's eyes drifted to the ceiling as he thought. Now that she mentioned it...everyone really didn't like pissing her off.

"Yeah...I guess," Hidan finally replied.

"I have another personality living in my head," Sakura said. Hidan's eyes widened.

"_What_?!" He exclaimed. Sakura laughed off-handedly as she made the finishing touches on the seal she had drawn on her arm. Hidan stared at as she blew on it to make the blood dry. From his primitive knowledge of seals, it looked like a mix of a summoning seal and a medical one. She waved her forearm around slightly and looked up at him. Her eyes flashed primally as she grinned.

"You might want take a step back..." She said ominously.

"What? Why? What are you going to do?" Hidan said, standing up and sliding back as far as the cell would let them.

"Bring her here, of course!" Sakura said.

"Eh?!" He sputtered incredulously. Sakura ignored him as she closed her eyes in concentration.

_**"It's gonna hurt like a bitch, you know that, right?" **_Inner chimed in. Speak of the mother fucking devil... Sakura grimaced as the seal began to glow. _I know... _She made a long string of seals before holding out her hands to either side of her.

It was indeed going to hurt like a bitch.

* * *

**Omake: Since When Do Pigs Fly?**

"I did so do it!" Konohamaru yelled angrily. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the seventeen-year-old who continued to fume. Civilians gave them odd looks as they passed them on the street.

"Ha!" He scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'll believe that when pigs fly!" Konohamaru growled.

"I did so kiss Moegi!" Konohamaru shot back. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the childish teenager.

"I don't believe you!" He said.

"Well, why the hell not?!" He snapped. Naruto sucked in breath to make a retort, when something hard clipped him in the back of the back. He stumbled forward before whipping around to glare at whoever did that. Shizune was standing in the middle of the road, smiling politely with a grocery bag tucked in her hands.

"You were saying something about flying pigs?" She said. Suddenly, Tonton swooped out of nowhere and kicked him in the back of the head again. Tonton smoothly glided down next to Shizune on...on a pair of _wings. _A wooden contraption was strapped to her back, allowing her to glide in the hair. Shizune kept smiling that evil smile as Naruto stared at the smug pig curiously.

"The pig...the pig flew..." He mumbled. He huffed in laughter and slouched over.

"The pig fucking flew..." He scratched the back of his head and turned back to Konohamaru. The boy was grinning widely and covering his mouth to hide his snickers. Naruto cracked him across the face and sent him flying with a punch.

"THIS PROVES NOTHING!"

* * *

**Author's Corner: Man, I'm getting these chapters done like mother fucker! *Kisses biceps* Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about, bitch! It's all in the head...no really, it is...**

**Oh, forget it. **

**As for the omake...I have no idea. I watched that Bush's Baked Beans commercial (which I do not own, you idiots) and this came into my imagination. It was in my brain and now it's on the internet. **

**Shit. **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	19. Chapter 19

**(PLEASE READ) Author's Corner: HELLO MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS! Thank you so much for your reviews, I am feeling awesome-socks right now ^U^ *glomps all of you* I love you all! (Oh, and a special thank you to UCHIHARUNO27 because her review was fahking awesome ;))**

**On another happy note, this story is officially a year old! I know I posted this on Christmas, but I actually started writing it back in April of 2012. Wow...now that I think about it, a lot has changed. A lot has been for the better, but some others...not so much. **

**_The Cherry Blossom and the Immortal _is nearing it's ending arc. I estimate it will end around chapter...24 or 25. Somewhere around there, if I'm going to squeeze everything into those few chapters. I really want to finish this so I can get onto my other stories.  
**

**WHICH REMINDS ME! **

**I have a crap-ton of multi-chapter stories currently sitting on my laptop...which crashed (shit). I can have my Techie send me back-ups, so it's okay. But what I'm saying is I'm letting YOU GUYS vote on which one I'm going to smear the elbow grease on next. So far, I have...**

**a) _The Cherry Blossom Touched by Dawn:_ Sakura is left to fend for herself at the ripe old age of two months. By a twist of fate, Nagato stumbles upon the infant. Nothing Nagato ever does is on a whim. With amazing chakra control, chakra supplies well above the norm, and an a warm heart, can she touch the heart of the cold Akatsuki members? Wait, Orochimaru wasn't really on the list... (Sakura-centric, SasuSaku NaruHina)  
**

**b) _Insanity:_ A medical prodigy, Sakura is the youngest psychiatrist of the century. Nothing is impossible for the fiery-tempered cherry blossom. So when faced with a dangerous, mentally unstable patient like Juugo, her temper won't let her live down the word 'can't'. So what does she do? Take him on as her personal patient of course. (AU, JuuSaku)**

**c) _Torn__:_ By a wicked twist of fate, Sakura found herself dragged into the Akatsuki. Leaving friends ****devastated and Konoha without it's top medic, a battle begins to get her back. Torn between her home and the strange new family she found in the Akatsuki, who will Sakura choose? But can a certain Uchiha tip the scales in Konoha's favor or will the war tear Sakura in half? (SasuSaku, previously known as _Love and Betrayal_)****  
**

**d) _Crazy in Love:_ Okay, let me get this straight. I was forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of Suna, the prince happens to be an emotionally challenged, incredibly powerful insomniac, and the council is corrupt and twisted. No wait, scratch that. There's no difference there. Between political parties, friends, enemies, and playing match-maker, I found time to fall in love with him. Damn it all. (AU, GaaSaku, ShikaTema, KankuTen)  
**

**I OWN ALL OF THESE! NO STEALING!**

**So what do you think? Take a vote in the reviews and the one that wins will be the next story that I release. I realize that I ship the weirdest pairings, so shut up. But vote! Vote, vote, VOTE! I'm torn (haha, deja vu...) on which one to finish up, so I'm gonna let you guys do it for me. So I better get some responses... *narrows eyes* Psh, I'm kidding *hugs* **

**But seriously...*narrows eyes again***

**Disclaimer: WOO! I found a five ****dollar bill! Naruto will be mine! But for now, it is not. **

* * *

For an entire thirty seconds, everything was washed white with pain. Sakura doubled over and clasped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. It wouldn't do any good to attract any guards or something. Everything burned with a white-hot pain as every cell in her body divided and multiplied. Sakura convulsed violently and vomited as the pain made her reject anything in her stomach. For a fleeting moment, Sakura regretted testing such an unrefined theory. There were hundreds of things that could go wrong for, say, defying the laws of life.

And then it was over.

Sakura coughed and hacked as bile burned her throat. Sweat poured down her forehead and her limbs were wobbly and unsupportive. It was several seconds before the spots stopped dancing in her eyes and her vision cleared enough to see straight. The first thing she saw was a pair of emerald green eyes before they vanished. Emerald green eyes with black scleras.

"Oh, son of a bitch!" Inner groaned as she collapsed. "Note-to-self - next time, try adding a pain suppressant, dipshit!" She snapped. Sakura snorted.

"It worked. Hidan, meet Inner. Inner...you know Hidan," she said. She raised her head to look at Hidan. Only, his back was turned and had his palm pressed flat against the wall.

"Could you have at least warned me that she would come back naked?!" He snapped. Sakura blinked and looked back at Inner. It was true. Inner was in nothing but her birthday suit and grinning like a madman as she lay spread-eagle on the stone floor. She cackled wildly and flipped to her feet.

"Ah, lighten up, pretty boy. This can't be the first time you've seen a chick naked before. Is it?" Inner taunted. She pranced over so she was standing behind Hidan. Hidan tensed and balled his hand into a fist.

"Ooh, pretty boy's _blushing! _Pretty Boy's a virgin! Pretty Boy's a virgin! Pretty Boy's a-"

"INNER!" Sakura snapped. Inner abruptly stopped skipping around the cell. She frowned at Sakura.

"Awww, come on, Saku-Saku! I've never had my own body before, this is great! Look! Toes!" She squealed. Inner hopped onto her hands and wiggled her toes. All the while wearing nothing but a childish grin.

"Just put this on," Sakura sighed, untying her yukata. She tossed it at Inner who had hopped back onto her feet before catching it. She pouted as she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

"Poo! You're no fun, Saku-Saku!" She stuck her tongue out at her virtual clone as she tied the yukata closed. Sakura shivered as the cool are hit her now nearly-bare body. She was left in nothing but her underwear and some bandages wrapped around her chest in the place of a bra.

"She's covered, you can turn around now," Sakura said irritably. Hidan let out a large breath and glanced cautiously over his shoulder. When he realized she was indeed covered, he turned around fully. Sakura snickered as she saw his face was positively glowing with heat. He glared at her for half a second before diverting his eyes and staring at a crack in the wall. Well, not that underwear and a bra (sort of) were much better than buck naked.

"Let's get out of here. Inner?" Sakura cracked her knuckles. Inner giggled and mirrored her movement. She brought her bare foot back and swung it into the bars of the cell. There was a loud clang as they flew off in a shower of sparks like brittle twigs.

"How are you chakra levels?" Sakura asked. Inner clenched her fist in front of her. She grinned deviously and her black and green eyes glimmered.

"One hundred and ten percent. Like light this popsicle stand, bitch!" She howled, pumping her fist in the air. She started for the open hole where the bars had once been, but Sakura reached out and snatched the back of her borrowed yukata.

"Hold it! I haven't even told you the plan!" She hissed. Inner squirmed and writhed in Sakura's grip.

"Cause a big ruckus, draw the Jashinists away from you, don't get killed, and get back to you before the sun rises, I know!" She whined. "Let me goooo! I want to fuck shit up! Sakura!" Sakura sighed and released her grip on the thin white cloth.

"SHANNARO!" She yelled before bolting down the hallway, towards where the intimidating man and the Jashinist twins had gone to. She assumed it was the exit...and if it wasn't, Inner could just make an exit. There were loud crashed, the creaking of metal and several surprised shouts.

"Now do you see why I keep her locked up?" Sakura said exasperatedly. Hidan had his eyebrows raised and was staring at the space Inner had left through. He jumped and averted his eyes in the opposite direction of where Sakura was standing.

"Uh, yeah," he muttered. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Let's go. I really don't want to know what Inner's doing. She really hates Jashinists. Something about the abusing the bodies they have when she doesn't even have one, I guess." Sakura said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey, whoa, hold up!" Tera shouted suddenly. She stared at Sakura and Hidan with wide green eyes.

"You're escaping? Get me out of here! I've been stuck her for a month, and you guys have only been here for a few hours, that's not fair!" She yelled. Sakura sighed and glanced at Hidan. He shrugged in return.

"We could use the extra muscle," he said simply. Sakura shrugged nonchalantly and stepped over the tangled mess of iron that once might have been the bars to a cell.

"Stand back." Sakura said. Tera slid to the back of the cell, her cat-like eyes standing out in the darkness of her cell. Sakura raised her hand and it began glowing blue. She pulled it back and snapped it forward again. The bars shattered under her monster strength and soon there was a gap in the iron bigger than Hidan. Sakura stepped in and Tera held out her chains willingly. Sakura made quick work of them and the scrapes on her wrists. Tera stood up and stumbled towards the hole in the bars. Sakura reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"And where do you think your going?" Sakura asked. Tera's eyes instantly darkened and she glared at Sakura. She tensed, as if coiling up to spring away. Sakura rolled her eyes at the show of defensiveness.

"Can you fight with that body? You're half-starved and your muscles have atrophied a bit. I'm a medic, so let me handle it." Sakura said. Tera narrowed her eyes at Sakura suspiciously, but she stepped back and lowered herself to sit against the wall of the cell, much like she had when she had first introduced herself. Sakura pressed her palm against her chest and closed her eyes.

"We often have to go to other hidden villages to do prison breaks to rescue comrades. More often then not, during their time in prison, a shinobi's muscular strength and fat levels go way downhill. To keep the escapees from being a burden in trying to escape, we use this to raise the size of fat cells and can reverse short-term muscular atrophy." Sakura explained as she worked. Tera watched with a mildly impressed look as she watched her ribs slowly disappear from under her mesh shirt and her hands when from thin and bony to strong and healthy. Her bruises vanished and she inhaled deeply as a cracked rib was repaired. Sakura pulled back and grinned softly.

"Done. Feel better?" She asked wryly. Tera stood up and flexed her fists. She grinned and stared down at Sakura.

"Not bad, medic." She said. Sakura had a feeling that was as close to a compliment as Tera ever got. Hidan stepped in and grabbed Sakura by the elbow and hoisted her to her feet. He huffed slightly as her legs gave out as soon as she put weight on them and she stumbled into Hidan.

"Typical." He said. Sakura scowled.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She snapped indignantly. Hidan raised his hand defensively, but didn't answer. Sakura puffed a strand of messy hair out of her eyes angrily. She tested her feet again and was relieved to find that they were steady once more.

"If you two lovebirds are done arguing, I'd like to wonder if we're leaving this dump or not." She said. Sakura blinked at Tera. She had suddenly gone from a quiet prisoner into a dangerous enemy. No wonder the Jashinists actually used chakra suppressers. This girl was deadly.

"I've had enough of of this place already," Sakura said. Tera vanished from the opening and Sakura and Hidan followed quickly after her.

Hidan took the lead soon after they ran down the hall. He knew this place the best, so it was logical. As they were heading down a very boring stone hallway, Tera skidded to a stop. Sakura stopped and Hidan did to, looking mildly irritated. So far, they had run into seven mutated bodies looking suspiciously like they had been hit by something very hard.

"What?" Hidan snapped quietly.

"Where do they keep weapons that they've confiscated?" She asked. Hidan stared at her empty holsters and it clicked into place.

"Go back down the way we just came, take your first right, and that entire hallway is full of stolen stuff. Your tools should be somewhere in there," he said. Tera nodded before taking off in the direction Hidan had pointed in. Hidan turned around and continued running. Sakura stared after where Tera had vanished to. She bit her lip worriedly before bolting after Hidan.

* * *

"How much farther?!" Sakura hissed. Hidan glanced around the corner of the hallway. Instead of torches, electric light were now strung every few feet apart. Hidan sighed as he just saw another hallway full of unconscious and mutated bodies. Inner was leaving a very grotesque version of Hansel and Gretel's bread crumb trail.

"We were at the very bottom of the cell block. The exit should be at the end of this hallway." He said. Sakura sighed. Every hallway was made of stone and looked identical. Hidan was a godsend. She would be hopelessly lost if she didn't have him...

Er, moving on.

The hallways were worse then Orochimaru's base, for crying out loud! The hallway was twisting and turning for over 100 feet. There were a few doors every once in a while, but they were mostly 'prayer rooms' as Hidan put it. They hadn't seen hide nor tail of Inner, but they found...'surprises' here and there. Like the decapitated head that Sakura had tripped over. Or the arm that hit her in the face. Or the...never mind.

Hidan bolted down the hallway with Sakura hot on her heels. Suddenly, Sakura's blood stopped dead in her veins.

"Dumbass! How'd you let her go?"

"She was a pink-haired monster!"

"She was a _girl!_"

The voices got closer and Sakura looked around frantically for an exit. Well, it was a hundred-foot hall way. About eight by ten feet. And completely bare other than doors and light bulbs.

Hidan beat her to finding a temporary escape. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her into the nearest room. It was (fortunately) empty, but it looked like it was being recently used. The air was heavy with the stench of blood. It was dark, other than the candles that illuminated a large circle with an upside-down triangle in it. Sakura was immediately shoved into the corner to the direct the left of the door and placed his palms on either side of her head.

Hidan pressed a finger to his lips silently. Sakura nodded; it was barely a twitch of her head. Sakura swallowed thickly and bowed her head to hide her rosy cheeks. Oh gods, he was _so close!_ Sakura balled her hands into fists and shrunk as far as she could into the small corner.

_"Oi, Fuzen! What the fuck happened down there?"_

_"They said that the blue-haired btich, the pink-haired one and Hidan escaped!"_

_"Oh shit...do you have any idea what HE will do when he finds out?"_

_"They couldn't have gotten far!"_

_"Oi, Amemaru, go check the rooms." _

Sakura gasped lightly and her heart pumped painfully fast. Her mind whirled a million miles an hour as they heard doors being opened and closed. The slamming got closer and closer to where they were. Something clicked in Sakura's mind and she put her hands together in the tiger seal. Hidan felt the air ripple slightly as she cast a genjutsu over the two of them. Just in time, too. The door slammed open and a silver-haired idiot walked in in a whirl of black cloth. Sakura bit her lip and peered over Hidan's shoulders cautiously. The man glanced over the room. His eyes roamed over the exact place they were hiding, but nothing changed in his eyes.

The man stood for several seconds in the room, just looking around.

"Amemaru! What are you doing?!" Someone yelled. Two more people pushed into the room. Due to her state of undress, Sakura could feel Hidan's heart humming in his chest. They were inches apart, and neither dared to even breathe.

"There's something...odd about this room. I think they were here." He said. Sakura stiffened. The other two turned circles, all wearing matching black cloaks with nothing underneath. Suddenly, one tripped over a candle and stumbled back dangerously close to wear Hidan and Sakura with thinly veiled with a genjutsu. He was nearly back to back with Hidan. She stared at him with wide eyes.

_Do something! _They said. If they touched, the genjutsu would be undone. Curled his fingers against the wall and screwed his eyes shut. Suddenly, he stepped forward so he was now pressed flush against her. Sakura sucked in a breath and held it. She felt his muscles ripple against her stomach and his breath was on her neck. Now she was positive he could feel her heart beating in her chest.

Suddenly, everything rushed back to her in a wave of nausea. The way he kissed her, her epiphany in the forest. She turned her head to the side to block out everything. She had no doubt that Hidan could feel the sexual tension between them two. Her gut tightened and she silently prayed for the idiots to get out of there.

"Oi, why'd you trip me?!" The irritatingly close Jashinist snapped. The other two glared at him.

"Trip you?! You tripped over a candle, bakamono!" One shot back. They dissolved into foul cuss words and accusations. Finally, _finally _the Jashinist stepped away from them and grabbed the cloak of one Jashinist and dragged him out of there.

"We're wasting time. Let's keep looking," he snapped. The other followed after the two, grumbling. As soon as the door shut, Sakura broke the genjutsu and Hidan hopped away from Sakura as if he had been burned.

"Sorry." He said. Sakura shook her head and stepped away from the wall. She reached behind her and tightened her bandages. She fiddled with the end of her long hair, still tied in a fishtail braid. She stared disapprovingly at it before pulling out the hair tie. She ran her fingers haphazardly through her hair before tying her hair up in a severe ponytail.

"Right. We should...get out of here," she muttered meekly. Hidan nodded and cracked open the door. He peered through before motioning that it was clear. Sakura followed after Hidan stepped through the door. Hidan ran down the hallway and Sakura kept a few feet behind him. There was silence except for the sound of their feet on the stone floor. Hidan thought about what had just happened.

What _had _happened?

Hidan felt heat rise to his face. Sakura had been so _close _to him right then. He'd seen far less on women with far more, but none of them had affected him like _this._ Maybe it was because of the high-adreniline situation, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was because _Sakura _that he was so close to. Arousal had hit him like a sack of bricks and he had silently prayed for it to not manifest itself it his groin. Which also made him think. It would have been so much easier just to kiss her right then and get rid of this aggravating tension between them.

_Because she's upset and you'd just make it worse by being a horny bastard _his tiny voice piped up. He gritted his teeth and forced all the anger and frustration and everything that had the word 'Sakura' attached to it from his mind. They needed to focus on getting out of there and now was not the time to address romance difficulties.

* * *

**Omake: Jan Ken Pon!**

"You clean it up, it wasn't my fault!"

"You were the one to crash into me, idiot!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"This is stupid. Let's settle this like grown women."

"Bring it, Pig."

"Jan Ken Pon."

"Er...what?"

"The winner has to sweep up the broken vase."

"Alright. There's no way in hell I'd lose!"

"Psh, in your dreams, Forehead."

"JAN KEN PON!"

"..."

"Scissors, Pig, I win."

"But...how did you...?!"

"..."

"Cheater!"

"Ninja."

"I declare a rematch!"

"Tch, you're just a sore loser!"

"Am not!"

"JAN KEN PON!"

"God dammit!"

"Get the broom, Pig."

* * *

**Author's Corner: Holy hell, this chapter was long. Like, really, _really _long. **

**But I don't think you guys are complaining... **

**DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE! Please! I am really having a hard time choosing which story to turn into a real fanfiction to post on here, 'cuz all of them are really appealing to my sense of romance. Shut up, I think Juugo and Sakura is adorable. **

**Ja ne,**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Corner: YAY! I have finally hit chapter 20! .^. I'm feeling really hyper right now. As in, BOUNCING OFF THE FUCKING WALLS hyper. **

**Okay, I know many of you have had to sit for 4 hours in a classroom taking a really important test. Me (being the naturally smart person that I am) finished with TWO AND A HALF HOURS TO SPARE. I then learned that I couldn't draw. Not even doodle. Add that to the fact that I forgot to check out a book and you have when extremely bored redhead on your hands. I WAS FUCKING _HIGH_ FOR THE LAST THRITY MINUTES. Giggling insanely and trying to hold it in because we had to be quiet for the other people who were still testing. I think my friends kept looking at me, sniggering, and turning away, so that's probably what set me off. **

**But holy shit man, I sounded like a hipster on crack! I think I burned off like twenty pounds, _that's _how hard I was laughing. **

**Pfft, but besides that, I'm gonna put up the four choices for the next story I'm gonna do. And here they are...**

**a) _The Cherry Blossom Touched by Dawn:_ Sakura is left to fend for herself at the ripe old age of two months. By a twist of fate, Nagato stumbles upon the infant. Nothing Nagato ever does is on a whim. With amazing chakra control, chakra supplies well above the norm, and an a warm heart, can she touch the hearts of the cold Akatsuki members? Wait, Orochimaru wasn't really on the list... (Sakura-centric, SasuSaku NaruHina)  
**

**b) _Insanity:_ A medical prodigy, Sakura is the youngest psychiatrist of the century. Nothing is impossible for the fiery-tempered cherry blossom. So when faced with a dangerous, mentally unstable patient like Juugo, her temper won't let her live down the word 'can't'. So what does she do? Take him on as her personal patient of course. (AU, JuuSaku)**

**c) _Torn__:_ By a wicked twist of fate, Sakura found herself dragged into the Akatsuki. Leaving friends ****devastated and Konoha without it's top medic, a battle begins to get her back. Torn between her home and the strange new family she found in the Akatsuki, who will Sakura choose? But can a certain Uchiha tip the scales in Konoha's favor or will the war tear Sakura in half? (SasuSaku, formally known as_ Love and Betrayal_)****  
**

**d) _Crazy in Love:_ Okay, let me get this straight. I was forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of Suna, the prince happens to be an emotionally challenged, incredibly powerful insomniac, and the council is corrupt and twisted. No wait, scratch that. There's no difference there. Between political parties, friends, enemies, and playing match-maker, I found time to fall in love with him. Damn it all. (AU, GaaSaku, ShikaTema, KankuTen)**

**THESE IDEAS ARE MINE! I HAVE HARD COPIES! SWIPER NO SWIPING!**

**Wait, what?**

**Disclaimer: I am willing to accept donations to buy Naruto from Kishimoto-senpai. But still not mine.**

* * *

When they stepped out of the temple, an all-war had begun.

Dozens of white-haired Jashinists were in a loose circle around a certain pink-haired alternate personality. Inner was was the middle of the fray, howling with delight as she snapped necks, ripped off limbs, disemboweled people and caused utter chaos on the battlefield.

Sakura got a good look at her surroundings for the first time. The temple was hidden in a shallow but spacious ravine. Apparently, a whole day had passed while she had been unconscious and it was nearing evening again. The setting sun cast an unfitting golden light on the bloody scene. Sakura ducked as a stray dagger flew over her head and lodged itself into the stone building behind her.

"What are waiting for?!" Inner yelled. "Come and get me! CHA!" She flipped over a stunned Jashinist and drove her fist into the ground. It rumbled before splitting open into a large crater. Sakura sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"You know, maybe letting her out wasn't such a good idea..." She muttered.

"OI! There's two of 'em!" A Jashinist yelled. Sakura blinked and her head snapped up. Her whole body tensed like a spring, ready to react to the slightest notion of attack. Hidan growled something under his breath but got down low into a fighting stance.

"Get 'em!" The Jashinist yelled. Two more Jashinists yet out loud battle cried before attacking them. Jashinists might have been stupid, but they sure as hell weren't weak.

"Get out of this ravine and meet me at the willow tree half a mile to the east. You'll know it when you see it," Hidan breathed. Sakura nodded and leaped away as a particularly reckless Jashinist tried to tackle her from behind.

Sakura dove to the left and bounced from her hands back to her feet as she gathered chakra into her hands. She grinned as adrenaline flooded her veins, making the fatigue fade from her body temporarily. The Jashinists that had gathered around her narrowed their eyes at the confidence oozing out of her. One of them rushed at her. He raised his scythe to slash at her and Sakura rolled her eyes. She ducked under his arm and slid behind him in one fluid motion. She pressed her palm into his back. The chakra scalpels severed his spine and made his heart implode with a small pulse of chakra. He vomited blood before falling down dead. The others looked at her with a newfound anger. The rest changed their positions. Sakura cocked an eyebrow and settled back into a fighting stance.

"Bring it on, bastards," she said.

* * *

Hidan, on the other hand, was having difficulty taking down his former comrades. It wasn't because of a lingering sense of friendship, oh no. He realized a big flaw in his fighting style as his arm burned with the cut from someone's scythe. He had killed the guy long ago so he couldn't establish a connection, but it was too close. He didn't have chakra scalpels like Sakura, nor was he extremely proficient in taijutsu like Lee. He realized that he was too dependent on his scythe for his fighting style. Now without it, he was left at the skill of a highly skilled chunin. He stared around at the variety of weapons the Jahsinists currently had pointing at him. He tensed as he sensed someone rushing him from behind. He side-stepped the attack and drove his elbow into the back of the man's neck. He heard it snap under the pressure and he collapsed.

Hidan inhaled deeply and pushed his senses as far as they could go. He _couldn't _let them cut him anywhere. He refused to die here. He needed to fix things with Sakura sohe wouldn't die _god dammit!_

His neck tingled as he twisted and caught the blade aimed at him between his palms. He deftly twisted it and the foolish Jashinist was forced to release it. His arm snapped forward and hit the guy square in the face. He felt his head cave in from the sheer pressure of the punch and he kicked the guy in the gut for good measure. Four more attacked him and he was forced to twist in ways a body shouldn't twist to miss the swipe aimed at his head. He ducked down low and lashed his foot out. He noted with grim satisfaction as his heel connected with the someone else's achilles. His laced his fingers together before slamming his hands down on the Jashinist's ribcage. His felt bones shatter before he leaped away to dodge another attempt at his life.

He hand-springed back into the small circle the Jashinists had made around him. He was secretly grateful that they were two stupid to realize that if they attacked all at once, they would be toast. Tensions were already high between the fellow Jashinists and their instincts were probably way out of whack. Six more attempted to gain an advantage over him again. In an inhuman rush of flexibility, he managed to twist out of the way of the swords, kodachi and scythes. He grabbed the hilt of one and jerked the unlucky man towards him. He slammed his palm into his chest and every organ in his body exploded. It wasn't as nearly as precise as Sakura's, but it would do.

The back of his neck tingled furiously and he whipped around and bent backwards to avoid another very pointy object. He dropped onto his back before kicking upwards and nailing the guy in the chin.

He stumbled back and glared at Hidan before spitting blood and several teeth out onto the grass.

"Heathen!"

"Atheist!"

"Backwards-assed fuck!"

Hidan sighed at the insults hurled at him from all directions. There were over fifty of them trying to subdue him. If he didn't find a way to get out of there soon, he would fall sooner or later. One of the smarter Jashinists actually attacked him silently and covered his chakra. His sucked in a sharp breath of air as he spun around and faced the guy. Too late. He felt the sickle graze his side and blood oozed down his flank. His faltered for half a second, but two of his enemies grabbed that chance and dove at him from both sides, swords aimed for a crippling blow.

_"Shit!" _

_Clang! _

Instead of the searing pain of having a sword run through you, his ears rang with the sound of of metal on metal. Hidan seized the moment and snapped the neck of the one who had cut him. He turned around and his eyes widened fractionally.

"Need some help?" Tera said with a grin, having stomped on the two swords. Hidan would have grinned, except for the kodachi being aimed at his leg. He side-stepped it and swung his foot around and clipped the idiotic Jashinist in the head.

"A little back up would be nice." He sighed, a little out of breath from the close call with defeat. Tera smirked ferally before twisting from her precarious position on top of the two swords. Two daggers flashed in her hands before they slashed across the throats of the offending Jashinists. Hidan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, she had found her stolen weapons. A large sword was now strapped across her back along with a scroll pouch on her hip. She and Hidan were almost back to back as they faced off against the Jashinists.

"Here," she said. She reached into her pouch and pulled out two kunai. She flipped them over her head and Hidan snatched them out of the air.

"Since you didn't come with me, I supposed that you didn't have any weapons to retake. You're lucky I'm a quick thinker," she said. She sounded mildly irritated, but Hidan didn't worry much about. He braced the kunai in front of him, feeling much more confident with weapons in his hands.

"Whoever kills the least in a rotten onigiri!" She said. Hidan rolled his eyes before lashing out at an unguarded Jashinist. Tera took that as the 'start' signal. Suddenly, her whole body was covered with a thin blue aura. Arcs of lightning danced across her skin as she formed several hand seals. She bit her thumb before slamming her palm into the cracked ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large plume of smoke erupted around her. Before it cleared, something large, furry, and white leaped over Hidan's head, and began tearing into a group of Jashinists behind him. A snow tiger. Hidan blinked in surprise before turning back to Tera...only she wasn't there anymore. Hidan barely caught glimpses of her flickering through the thick of the group, driving her sword into enemies or slamming bone-crushing kicks and punches into them. Hidan raised his eyebrows, impressed.

He turned back to his section of people to kill. The group was already getting smaller from the blue haired woman's rampage, but that didn't mean he could start lacking off.

"Bring it on, bastards," he said.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Okay, for a great landmark in my story, this was kind of short. But don't worry, the next one should be better. Should...**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Corner: Hi. I sorry for late update...cookie?**

**So, a shout-out to any who was in Boston or had family members in Boston when the bombs went off. I hope that everyone is safe and sound and if not, I wish you a speedy recovery. Add that to the fertilizer plant that blew up. Geez, what's next? Someone bombs the White House? *Slaps hands over mouth* Shit... **

**a) _The Cherry Blossom Touched by Dawn:_ Sakura is left to fend for herself at the ripe old age of two months. By a twist of fate, Nagato stumbles upon the infant. Nothing Nagato ever does is on a whim. With amazing chakra control, chakra supplies well above the norm, and an a warm heart, can she touch the hearts of the cold Akatsuki members? Wait, Orochimaru wasn't really on the list... (Sakura-centric, SasuSaku NaruHina)  
**

**b) _Insanity:_ A medical prodigy, Sakura is the youngest psychiatrist of the century. Nothing is impossible for the fiery-tempered cherry blossom. So when faced with a dangerous, mentally unstable patient like Juugo, her temper won't let her live down the word 'can't'. So what does she do? Take him on as her personal patient of course. (AU, JuuSaku)**

**c) _Torn__:_ By a wicked twist of fate, Sakura found herself dragged into the Akatsuki. Leaving friends ****devastated and Konoha without it's top medic, a battle begins to get her back. Torn between her home and the strange new family she found in the Akatsuki, who will Sakura choose? But can a certain Uchiha tip the scales in Konoha's favor or will the war tear Sakura in half? (SasuSaku, formally known as_ Love and Betrayal_)****  
**

**d) _Crazy in Love:_ Okay, let me get this straight. I was forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of Suna, the prince happens to be an emotionally challenged, incredibly powerful insomniac, and the council is corrupt and twisted. No wait, scratch that. There's no difference there. Between political parties, friends, enemies, and playing match-maker, I found time to fall in love with him. Damn it all. (AU, GaaSaku, ShikaTema, KankuTen)**

**STILL MINE!**

**Disclaimer: Hey...hey...guess what...I still don't own Naruto **

* * *

Hidan ducked a desperate slice of a dying Jashinist and drove his borrowed kunai through his ribs. The man coughed up blood before collapsing. Hidan kicked away his body before straightening up. He grimaced as he wiped the blood that had splattered against his jaw.

"That's nasty," Tera said, wiping blood off of her blade. The tiger that she had summoned earlier circled Tera, its muzzled stained red. Hidan watched the animal prod a body, growling under its breath.

"What are these things, Tera?" It growled. Hidan wasn't exactly surprised that it could talk, but what did surprise him was that 'it' was actually a 'she'.

"I dunno. Ask him," Tera said as she pointed at Hidan. He sighed as he crouched down and used the clothing of a dead Jashinist to wipe the blood off his kunai. He ran the black fabric over the dark blade, silent for several seconds.

"They're from a cult that worships a god named Jashin. I...was one of them, many years ago," he said quietly. He stared at the face of the Jashinist that he had killed. He looked barely out of his teens. He bowed his head and rubbed his forehead.

"I was lucky enough to have people drag me out of that dark pit. These people aren't evil, they're just mislead. Twisted into a bad mold," he said. He closed the boy's staring eyes and stood up again. The large snow tiger stalked up to him and sat back on his haunches.

"You are odd, human, but I can see that you are not evil. You have chosen a wise person to battle with, Tera," the tiger said in her strangely feminine voice. Tera smirked and returned her sword to its sheath.

"Thanks, Kitora." She said. Kitora nodded her blood-spattered head before dispelling in a plume of smoke. Tera let out a loud sigh.

"I better get out of here. It feels so great to be free again," she stretched and eyed Hidan, still staring at the dead bodies. She shrugged and closed her feline green eyes. Hidan finally turned away from the corpse and looked at her.

"You want to head back and meet up with Sakura?" Hidan asked. Tera paused mid-stretch and stared at him.

"Sakura? Oh, you mean the pink-haired girl. Nah, I'm a lone wolf, always have been. Thanks for the help, though." She said.

"You sure?" Hidan said, turning towards the direction of the willow tree he had spoken about earlier.

"Yeah. Give Sakura my thanks for me," she said. Hidan nodded before Tera shunshined away in a swirl of leaves. Hidan was once more alone and surrounded by corpses. As the adrenaline faded as the danger passed, his head suddenly throbbed horribly. He winced and clutched his head. His vision blurred for a moment before coming back into focus.

"I've gotta get out of here."

* * *

Hidan realized that traveling barefoot out of an overgrown ravine wasn't a good idea. By the time he got to the willow tree, his feet were torn and bloody and doubled with the wounds he had sustained during the battle and the cuts on his back from the whips, he was about ready to drop. His hands had painful blisters on them from using the kunai so much. He brushed through the long leaves of the weeping willow and looked around for Sakura.

"Sakura?" He called out quietly. There was no movement, nothing to indicate that the pink-haired kunoichi had gotten there yet. He sighed and stared through the gaps in the branches. There was still maybe three hours until sunrise. Hidan sighed and rubbed his temples, thankful for the darkness.

Hidan sat down against the massive trunk and forced his wound up muscles to relax. He leaned his head back against the rough back and watched the shadows dance over the grass and the branches whispered in the breeze.

Slowly, his eyes drooped shut. A little rest would be a good idea about now...

_Crack! _

Hidan's eyes shot open and he stood up again, kunai in hand.

"Haha, I showed those dicks..." Hidan relaxed at the sound of Sakura's voice floating through the branches. Well, not _Sakura _exactly.

The long vines were thrown aside as a barely-clothed, pink-haired girl stepped through. The vines closed again, enveloping the trunk in a curtain of green. The tree was well over 100 years old and the branches brushed the ground. Inner stopped when she noticed Hidan. She grinned and pushed her messy hair back.

"Well, hello there handsome," she said. Hidan dropped his kunai out of surprise and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"E-excuse me?" He sputtered. Inner snickered put her hands on her hips. The white rope that Sakura had given her was dirty and much shorter than before, as Sakura had ripped off the hem to use as bandages for him.

"I was right, you really are a virgin," she teases, walking up to him. Hidan backed up against the tree, trying to get away from the hellcat currently stalking him. He didn't have anywhere to go as Inner grew closer, her smirk reminding him of a leopard going in for the kill.

"H-hold on, what are doing?" He said, holding his hands out in front of him. Inner rolled her black and green eyes and swatted his hand away.

"What does it look like, Hi-dan-kun?" she said quietly. She drew out the syllables of his name as she poked him in the chest. Hidan swallowed thickly and tried stepping back again, but cursed himself as he realized that he was cornered against the tree. His stomach clenched uncomfortably at the thought of a woman he happened to be very attracted to trying to seduce him. And succeeding.

Inner gave him a sultry smirk and her eyes glittered dangerously.

"You know, I really used to hate you," she murmured. Hidan remained silent, trying to keep his eyes in respectable areas. It was harder than you'd think, with her wearing nothing but a thin white robe.

"But then..." Inner smirked and stepped closer. "But then I realized that you weren't that bad. Not to mention that you look incredibly sexy when you're all battered up like that." Hidan frowned as his face heated up at her provocative words. Inner rolled her eyes and let her fingers walk up his bare chest. Suddenly, she pressed herself flush against him, pulling him closer by a hand on the nape of his neck.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Hidan as his senses became overwhelmed with the essence of the clone of Sakura. All other thoughts were drowned out and there was just the green-eyed doppleganger and the luring look she was giving him.

He wanted her.

He wanted her so badly, he was starting to forget that this wasn't even the real Sakura. Inner reached up on her tip-toes and leaned in closer to him. Their breaths mingled together as his eyes fluttered shut. Gods, she was so _close _to him! He could feel every curve of her petite form, the strength rippling beneath her deceptively small body. He could practically feel his self-control slipping...

"Oi!"

Hidan jumped nearly a foot in the air as Inner was wrenched away from him. Sakura had Inner by the back of her robe and was dangling her a couple inches off the ground. She gave her a disproving look as she placed her free hand on her hip. The kunoichi now had on a pair of oversized black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt that was about three sizes to big for her. Hidan grimaced as he realized she must have taken them from the bodies of the ones she had killed.

"I think that's enough free time for you, Inner," Sakura said in a flat tone. Inner squirmed and flailed her arms around.

"Awwwww, I almost had him, Saku-Saku! Lemme go!" She whined. Sakura rolled her eyes before dropping her on the ground. Inner stuck her tongue out at Sakura before crossing her arms. Sakura glanced briefly at Hidan who had plopped down with his back to the Yin and Yang personas. From the way his ears were practically steaming, she could take a guess at why.

"Shut up, I'm not in the mood," she sighed. Inner muttered a few choice words under her breath before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine." She said, seemingly more subdued. "You win." Sakura immediately pulled her hand back and slammed her palm into Inner's chest. A small black ball of light flew out and into Sakura's chest. The now lifeless doll fell to the ground and began to crumble to dust. Hidan looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened as he saw Sakura stumble slightly, a hand to her head. On instinct, he lurched forward to catch her as she crumpled.

Sakura's head spun with the overload of information that had just dumped into her brain. She must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing she knew, she was in Hidan's arms with him looking at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Sakura mumbled something even she couldn't make out. Hidan frowned and leaned closer. His frown disappeared as he felt soft lips press against his jaw. He jumped back and stared at her, surprise etched into his face. Sakura gave him a sleepy smile that still somehow managed to look sexy.

"Don't let me go," she said softly. Hidan sighed through his nose, more than happy to oblige. He readjusted his arms around her, but something made him freeze. His blood ran cold as he stared at his forearm- now covered with Sakura's blood.

He pressed Sakura closer against his chest to get a better look at her back. Unnoticeable to him before because of the dark cloth she wore, he now saw the long gash that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip.

"Jesus, Sakura!" He exclaimed under his breath. Sakura chuckled, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that..." She mumbled. Hidan sighed and reached for the abandoned white robe lying in a pile of black dust. He shook it out before pressing the cloth against her wound. It was immediately stained bright red. He gently picked her up and retreated deeper into the veil of the weeping willow. He sat against the trunk once more and pulled Sakura into his lap, making sure to be careful of her wound.

"This is so messed up," Sakura said suddenly. Hidan huffed in agreement as he dabbed at the gash.

"I think I have enough chakra left to..." Sakura pulled back slightly and reached behind her to poke her wound. She pulled her bloodstained fingers back and moved shruggishly through the handsigns she needed.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu," she said, pressing her palm against the grass. A white and blue slug about the size of a small dog appeared in a plum of smoke.

"Sakura-sama...oh dear," she cooed. She inched over and she tilted her head left and right as she inspected her wound. Sakura sighed. She still had her head resting in the crook of Hidan's neck and didn't seem inclined to move anytime soon.

"Scythe. It may have hit the hypodermis, but my spinal cord is fine. I stopped the bleeding earlier but it must have opened again..." Sakura yawned and curled up slightly. Katsuyu nodded before crawling over Hidan's knee and onto Sakura's back. Hidan brushed Sakura long pink hair out of the slug's way.

"You're being awfully nice to me," Sakura commented dryly.

"I don't see why I shouldn't be," he replied smoothly, despite his wired up nerves.

"Heh...I'm the one that got us into this situation..." she said. Her eyebrows suddenly knit together in a frown and she sucked in a sharp breath.

"My apologies, Sakura-san. A slight infection has set in, this may take some time," she said. Sakura nodded absent-mindedly and relaxed again.

"It was my fault too. If I hadn't-" Hidan was cut off by Sakura pressing her finger to his lips.

"Don't even say it. I was being an idiot, reacting like that. If you apologize even once, I'll hit you," she said. Hidan snorted and rested his chin on top of her head, completely at ease with their current position. At least she wasn't angry at him.

"Fine. If I'm not allowed to apologize for kissing you, you can't blame yourself for this situation, deal?" He said. Sakura laughed weakly and run her thumb over his knuckles which rested on her thigh. After a moment, Hidan turned his palm upward and twined his fingers with hers. Despite her weak and exhausted state, her heart fluttered slightly.

"Deal," she said.

"I'm done," Katsuyu said suddenly. Sakura sat up and arched her back. Hidan looked at her wound, only to see that it wasn't there. A long, raw red line had taken the place of her gaping injury.

"Thank you, Katsuyu-sama," she said. Katsuyu nodded and dispelled herself. Sakura twisted around slightly, testing her injury. Hidan watched her, an amused smile on his face. Sakura noticed but didn't comment as she rested her head against his chest once more, their hands still intertwined. There was a peaceful silence for several minutes with nothing but the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the night to disturb the quiet.

"My, my, my, how touching is this?"

Sakura suddenly stiffened profoundly and Hidan did the same. The vines of the willow parted of their own accord and the Leader stepped through, along with Amane and Katsumi. The latter still had that fake smile on his face, and the former had his head bowed submissively.

"I must say, Hidan, smart thinking in hiding here. The massive nature chakra of this tree nearly masked your signatures entirely. It is too bad you are still linked to me." Said the black-robed man. His long silver hair was tied into a loose ponytail and it gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. His hands were still hidden inside his robes, and his blood red eyes stared at them, void of all emotion. Hidan sighed and nudged Sakura with his knee. Sakura jumped up and glared at the trio of men.

"Damn, I thought it would have faded with time." He said. Sakura glanced warily between the two. The owner of the ruby red eyes spoke again.

"You of all people should know better than than, Hidan. You are to come back with us and are to be stripped of your immortality," he said. Sakura frowned, her guard on high alert. Hidan was silent as he glared at the one in the middle.

"You know I won't come willingly." He said calmly. The man smirked and tilted his head to the side.

"Hmm. I wonder if I can change that." He murmured. "Katsumi." The said man nodded. Before anyone knew what was happening, Katsumi had vanished and reappeared behind Sakura, a dagger held a hair's breadth away from her throat and her arms twisted into a painful position behind her back. Hidan snapped his head to look at her, a mixture of surprise of surprise and horror on his face.

"It's your choice, Hidan." He said. Sakura's heart danced like a hummingbird in her chest. She locked eyes with Hidan and could see his resolve crumbling.

"No, Hidan!" She gasped. She tried to struggle against her captor but the blade pressed lightly against her throat and her arms were twisted in ways an arm wasn't supposed to twist.

"Should I just kill her, Shi-sama?" Katsuki said. The air seemed to electrify as the name of the mysterious man was finally revealed. Sakura gasped lightly.

_"Death?! That's his name?" _She thought nervously. There must have been a reason for that. Shi closed his eyes and let out a slow breath through his nose, completely at ease.

"Perhaps..." Shi said slowly. Hidan turned on Shi and gave him a death glare.

"It would be a shame to kill such a pretty little thing like you," Katsumi said, flicking a lock of her hair with his blade. Sakura swallowed a lump of fear in her throat.

This was a real Jashinist. The others that they had decimated were probably just hastily recruited drones. Despite his smile, Katsumi was deadly. This was why the religion was considered taboo; it turned out deadly killers that were a force to be reckoned with. And if even one of them had the immortality that Hidan possessed...

It would be all out slaughter.

"So what will it be, Hidan?" Shi said. Hidan's eyes flicked between Sakura and Shi several times before his shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

"If you let her go and don't go after her...I'll come with you." He said finally.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Yeesh, another long one, but whatever. This took way too long to finish. I don't know why but I have just _not _been in the mood to read or write anything lately. Maybe its my depressing friend being depressing. I don't know. **

**I hope you guys don't hate me. **

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Corner: *slowly comes out from behind bulletproof wall* Is it safe? *Holds up bulletproof sheild* Sorry for the unplanned hiatus, I just had no motivation to be writing...like _at all. _Gods, I've had a recent obsession with the Cirque du Freak series and my feels are currently overwhelming me. As in, I can't sleep, I have no appetite,_ I HAVE EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO CREATE MY OWN OC FOR IT. FUCK. _Son of a bitch, this is irritating.  
**

**But after a long, long time, I am back. *Blocks a bullet with shield* Hey, hey, hey, is that any way to treat your deity? Maybe I should just go back on hiatus... *catches the rose thrown at me from shadows* That's better. So, have all my readers been? Good? Bad? Half-dead? *Coughs uncomfortably* **

**Disclaimer: You know what? I've obviously said it enough. Twenty-two fucking chapters and I think you'll get the picture! :3  
**

* * *

"What?! Hidan, you can't be serious!" Sakura snapped. She tried struggling but once again, Katsumi twisted her arm and this time she felt a strong _pop. _She just gritted her teeth as her shoulder dislocated. Katsumi chuckled and buried his face sensually into her neck.

"Ooh, she's tough. Can I keep her, Shi-sama? Can I?" He said. Shi gave no indication that he heard Katsumi. He just stared at Hidan with this sort of serious contemplation. After several seconds of tense silence and throbbing pain on Sakura's end before Shi finally closed his eyes and took one hand out of his robes.

"Alright. You have ten minutes after we release you to run away. If you attempt to attack us or we find you following us, you will be killed very painfully," Shi said slowly. Hidan's shoulder visibly slumped when he said this.

"Hidan! This is not happening, I'm not going to leave you here, you can't be-!"

"Sakura!" Hidan snapped. His head twisted around to glare at her. Sakura's words failed her as her throat closed up. Hidan's eyes softened and he sighed. "Just leave. Get as far away as you can." Angry tears gathered at the corners of Sakura's eyes.

"But-!"

"Just leave. Get away before I end up hurting you more than I already have," he said quietly. Sakura bit her lip hard enough to make her bleed as she held back her emotions.

"It seems a deal has been met..." Shi said. He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Hidan went stiff before crumpling like wet tissue. Sakura turned her head away, refusing to look. Her heart felt like it was being put through a wringer with metal spikes on it. Amane hurried forward and began tying up Hidan with rope he pulled from a satchel over his shoulder. He looked briefly at her. She caught a glimpse of his eyes for the first time. They were a bright and clear shade of teal that seemed to have an infinite amount of wisdom. Sakura felt like she knew those eyes. When he realized she had caught him staring, her ducked his head again, blushing slightly. Part of Sakura might have been amused at her behavior but she was practically drowning in her own grief.

"It takes three days to prep for an immortality extraction." Amane suddenly mumbled. Sakura's eyes widened and she cautiously looked at Amane from the corner of her eye. She watched as he threw Hidan over his shoulder with a show of unnatural strength for a boy of his size. He turned around and headed after Shi and Katsumi.

The second he left, Sakura was gone. She dashed in the opposite direction of the two horrible men and ran as fast as her battered and abused body would allow. Tears broke free from the dam and flowed down her cheeks in an unending trail. She glanced up at the sky and the only logical part of her mind took control and steered her towards the Leaf by the quickly fading stars. The other half of her was just a heartbroken girl, lost and confuse.

Harsh sobs tore from her throat as she pushed what little remaining chakra she had into her legs and pushed her forward at blinding speeds.

_"Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! This is not what's supposed to happen!"_Sakura's mind chose that moment to bring up the sweet, almost peaceful moment she and Hidan had shared before it had shattered, the shards flying everywhere and damaging her on the way.

**_"How did you think it was going to end up?! Hmm?! That kid said you have three days, you can still fix this!"_ **Her inner screamed. Sakura forcefully blocked her out. Now was not the time for false hopes.

* * *

Sakura ran at full speed for an hour. She new that she was in danger of extreme chakra exhaustion, her feet were fracturing from the strain she placed on them and her wound was threatening to open again, despite Kaysuyu's skillful healing. Sakura nearly cried with relief as she saw Izumo and Kotetsu on guard at the gate. She stumbled out of the trees and onto the ground and made it two steps before she exhausted muscles refused to move anymore.

Izumo noticed her and his eyes widened with shock. He tapped Kotetsu on the shoulder frantically, saying something Sakura's ringing ears couldn't comprehend before hopping over the booth and rushing over to her. The medic in her knew she had barely seconds before she fell unconscious.

"Sakura! Hey Sakura, what's wrong?!" Kotetsu's muffled voice reached her ears. She felt rough arms carefully lift her by her shoulders and Kotetsu's shaggy black hair invaded her vision.

"Shit, she's injured. Sakura, what happened?" Izumo demanded. Sakura shook her head as her vision began to darken.

"Hokage tower...now..." She slurred out. Everything went black.

* * *

_"Sakura...can you hear me? Sakura..." _Sakura heard a faint ringing voice.

"Hmm...go away Hidan..." She mumbled. Wait... Hidan...Hidan... Sakura gasped and shot straight up.

"Hidan!" She yelled. Immediately, soft hands were on her back and shoulders, trying to press her back into the bed. Instantly, Sakura's ninja instincts kicked in and she swatted the hand that held her.

"Sakura! Calm down, it's just me! Sakura!" Naruto yelled. Sakura froze at the sound of a familiar voice. She looked around and realized she was in a hospital room. Her heart rate calmed as she saw Tsunade, Kakashi, Yamato, Tatsuki, Shizune and Naruto, who was currently holding her down. She looked at her hands which were covered in bandages and she aches and pains were gone.

"Guys...how did I- What-" Sakura's throat closed up as she tried to find words for what her conflicting emotions were telling her. Relief, happiness, guilt, fear. Sakura slumped over and held her head.

"You're okay now Sakura, everything's-" Sakura's head snapped up at the sound of Shizune's voice.

"_No, _everything is _not _okay!" She

snarled. Naruto jumped and Sakura immediately regretted her actions. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them.

"I'm sorry...I just...I'm sorry..." Sakura whispered. Tears began rolling down her cheeks again and her shoulder shook with sobs. Sakura heard Tsunade's heels tap across the linoleum floor to her bed.

"Sakura, we need to know what happened," she said. Naruto began rubbing her back soothingly and after a moment of that Sakura felt like she was ready to talk. She hiccuped slightly and dried her eyes in an attempt to compose herself.

"Hidan's been kidnapped...by Jashinists..." she said. There was a small gasp from Hinata, Tatsuki and Shizune. Tsunade didn't say anything but her brow creased with worry.

"How did this happen?" She asked.

"Baa-chan, I don't think-" Naruto was cut off by Sakura shaking her head.

"I'm okay Naruto..." she said, sniffing slightly and wiping her eyes once more. She took a rattling breath to calm herself and started her tale.

She told them about running out into the forest (omitting the part about her kiss with Hidan), being kidnapped and taken to the temple. She recalled Tara and told her about how she sided with them and helped them escape.

"Tera Cross? As in Teraana Cross? I know her…by name, not by face." Naruto blurted suddenly. The group looked oddly at him. Naruto hurried to explain. "She's formerly from the Land of Snow but left at age ten. Not much more is known about her but she's pretty famous throughout the Hidden Villages. She'll work for anyone if the price is right." Sakura took in this new information and filed it away before continuing with her story.

"After we escaped, we took cover under this big willow tree and…and that's when the three of them arrived." Sakura stopped as the memories began resurfacing. Her throat closed up and tears began threatening to fall once more. Naruto looked like he wanted to reach out and comfort her but she managed to hold it together. Barely.

"There were three people. Two Jashinists named Katsumi and Shi and what looked like a servant named Amane." Nobody noticed how Tatsuki's eyes widened or that his hands clenched his shirt tightly from his position with crossed arms.

"Shi is the leader and Katsumi was…he was…absolutely deadly. He had me incapacitated in two seconds flat. There were lots of other Jashinists but they seemed like…drones. He was extremely skilled."

There was silence in the room after that. Sakura let out a long breath and looked around at the people in her hospital room. She felt this overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude mixed with the hollow sadness she had only felt of such magnitude when she failed to kill Sasuke and realized how absolutely _useless _she had been.

"Amane told me…that it took three days to prep for an 'immortality extraction' which is apparently going to happen to Hidan. Tsunade-shishou, we need to rescue him, we have to," she said, fisting her hands in the blankets almost desperately.

Tsunade was tapping her foot on the floor lightly and her eyes were closed.

"It is a high priority…" She said slowly. Sakura almost tore the blanket from the amount of force she was twisting it with.

"But I will not allow you to go on that mission. You have several shin splints, fractures in your feet, critical chakra exhaustion, and don't even get me started on that gash on your back," she said. Sakura flinched with every sharp word and she heard the stitches popping on the blanket. Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Recovery will take at least three days so going to rescue Hidan is out of the question…no matter how much you may want to." She added before turning on heel.

"Kakashi, I need a word with you," she said before walking out. Kakashi sighed inaudibly and gave Sakura a look that said, "we'll talk later." Sakura relaxed her grip on the hospital blanket and saw she had torn a small hole in it. Oh well, they had plenty of other blankets.

There was silence once more as just Shizune, Naruto and Tatsuki were left. Naruto cleared his throat quietly and rose to his feet. He grabbed his cloak off the back of the chair where it had been draped and threw it over his shoulders.

"I have to go Sakura-chan. It's nearly three o'clock in the morning and Hinata-chan is waiting," he said, winking slightly at her. When Sakura barely cocked a smirk, his smile faded and he sighed deeply. Sakura was surprised when he reached out and brushed aside her bangs which were obscuring her eyes.

"Get some rest. We'll get him back, don't you worry, 'ttebayo. Hidan's a comrade and I never turn my back on my friends." He said. Sakura took a small measure of comfort in that and slowly slid down on the bed so she wasn't sitting up but instead lying down. She winced as the strain pulled against her newly healed wounds.

"Right, Naruto. Be careful." She said. Under normal circumstances, she would have pummeled him to a pulp for the way he had touched her but these were hardly normal circumstances and she had come to accept that his affections were purely platonic when he had started dating Hinata after god knows how long after her confession in the battle against Pein.

"Later," he said. He said a quick goodbye to Shizune and Tatsuki before exiting the room. Shizune coughed slightly and picked the clipboard and checked it over, scribbling notes here and there and flipping through the papers on it.

"Well, you're definitely on the mend. The after-effects of bringing out your Inner-"

"You knew about that?!" Sakura blurted. Shizune raised an eyebrow at her as she returned the clipboard to the hook at the end of the bed.

"Yes, we did a small mental probe to check for any severe or lasting mental trauma. The after-effects are that you shouldn't use your chakra for the next twenty-four hours so you can give it time to re-fuse after it was split. Take these and then get some sleep. You need it." The medic held out two blue pills and nodded her head at the glass of water resting on the bed table.

"Right..." Sakura recognized the pills as a very powerful sleeping medicine with some painkillers. It was a bit of an overkill for the fact that most of her wounds were superficial or not anything that she couldn't handle. There was no doubt that Shizune knew that Sakura knew what the pills were but as medic-to-medic, she must have thought that she had enough sense to take the pills. Coupled with her exhaustion, it would knock her out for at least thirty-six hours.

Sakura grabbed them and tossed them in her mouth before taking several large gulps of water. Oh wow, was she dehydrated. Shizune nodded, satisfied and gave Sakura a sad smile.

"Don't worry, you know how Naruto is. He'll bring Hidan back one way or another," she said before leaving. Sakura scowled. She _was _extremely upset about Hidan's kidnapping but it wasn't like she was having a complete mental breakdown or entirely disabled because of it. It kind of ticked her off for everyone to think she was so fragile.

"I'll be just outside...in case you need anything..." Tatsuki mumbled before following Shizune out. Sakura smiled and nodded. The door clicked closed and Sakura waited for the footsteps to fade.

She spit out the pills she had never swallowed and tucked them under the mattress.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Heeey... This took waaaay too long to finish but as you can see, it's complete. (Finally.) **

**Don't forget about my poll for the stories, so far Crazy in Love is winning...**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Corner: I FUCKING HATE LONG CAR RIDES! There's the cramped sleeping positions, annoying little siblings that just _have _to sprawl their smelly feet all over you, the fear of getting stuck in traffic while you have to pee, my GODS I could go on and on about how much I loathed the twenty-five hour drive to Canada. I will never, ever take my old brass bed for granted again. I have slept on two floors, three couches and one of the most uncomfortable bunk beds in existence; I am so glad to have my baby back. *Stretches like a cat and snuggles into the lovely bed*  
**

**Um, yeah. **

**I apologize for the long wait. **

**Oh, and some of you may have noticed the lack of omakes in recent chapters... I have run out of plot bunnies, but they are bound to pop up sooner or later, but my omakes are more of a "spur of the moment" kind of thing. They may be back soon though, as this story is reaching it's final legs. Maybe two or three chapters left, my lovelies! *Cries quietly*  
**

**But I doubt many of you came to read my tedious Author's Notes, so I'll just... *scooches aside* Yeah...**

* * *

Sakura spent the next day in the hospital. As much as she wanted to put her plan into action, she wasn't stupid. Bringing out her Inner had been a dangerous gamble and now that she was safe and on the mend, she could actually feel her Inner's own chakra bubbling just under the surface of her skin. It was uncomfortable but with each passing hour, she felt it mixing with her own chakra once more. Like static electricity being diverted away and to another source.

Friends had come to check on her, but, because of the fact that she was supposed to be under the influence of a powerful sleeping pill, she was forced to pretend she was sleeping. It wasn't hard to fool the other doctors that came to check up on her, she knew what they were looking for and how to hide the fact that she was actualy awake.

It was incredibly hard, though. Her anxiety about Hidan was or wasn't being put through by a cult of sadistic followers of a sacrificial god who held a grudge... It was hard just thinking about it.

Sakura was practically itching to throw off the blankets and just run out of there. Patience was _not _one of her strong points. Slowly, she opened her eyes and the jade orbs seemed to glow in the dark of the hospital room. The only light came from the moonlight through the window and the crack under the door. Slowly, Sakura sat up, careful not to make a noise to alert Tatsuki. He may have been goofy but the guy was still an Anbu. She walked up to the wall so she was right next to the door, hidden in the shadows.

Sakura bit her lip anxiously. It had been a while since she had tried throwing her voice...she wondered if she could still do it. She stared at the bed for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Hey, Tatsuki, could you come here for a moment?" Sakura said, loud enough to where it could be heard through the door. There were footsteps before the door opened, illuminating the room.

"Ye-?" Before he could get a single word out, Sakura tackled him.

"Sorry about this, Tatsuki," she grunted before bringing her elbow down on the back of his neck. She let his body slump to the ground before stepping back. She peered around the corner of the door and, once she was sure the hallway was empty, tiptoed out. Her bare feet made almost no noise on the linoleum. She was in the process of darting behind a turn in the hallway when a voice made her freeze.

"Going somewhere?"

Sakura whirled around to see... Tatsuki?

"Come on, at least check to see if it's the real me before you knock out a shadow clone," he said, pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning on previously. Sakura tensed and braced her fists in front of her.

"I must say, that hospital gown looks rather smashing on you," he said casually. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to stop me?" She asked. He shrugged.

"You seem like you're pretty much healed. I don't see any real reason why you can't." He said. Sakura's eyes widened as she relaxed. Tatsuki scratched the side of his nose.

"Erm, and plus I kind of want to go with you." He coughed slightly, sticking a hand in his pocket. Sakura smirked crookedly.

"Be at the gates in half an hour," was all she said before turning around and proceeding to dart from shadow to shadow, making her way to the exit. Tatsuki watched her leave, smiling softly. He then winced and clutched his stomach. The Ryujin's curse was starting to take effect. He had a few months left...

* * *

Sakura flew through her home, packing up. She pulled on her gear hurriedly and braided her hair once more. She strapped her ninjato across her back and her headband went around her neck. She had packed her medical supplies in a storage scroll and a couple of her medicine balls. She was reaching for the doorknob, when she paused. She went back to Hidan's room and grabbed his scythe, sealing that into a scroll too.

All in all, she only spent around twenty minutes at her home. She darted out, flying over the rooftops to the gate. She saw a figure that was undoubtedly Tatsuki already standing at the gates.

"Ready?" She asked as she dropped next to him.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied shortly. "Lead the way."

Armed to the teeth, the two of them set out, barely making a sound as they ran through the dark woods.

* * *

Using the stars and her own considerable memory, Sakura lead them towards the temple down in the ravine. Before they got that close though, there was a small light through the foliage. Sakura exchanged looks with Tatsuki and they both slowed down considerably; they were creeping along at walking speed.

Sakura narrowed her eyes dangerously.

In the middle of a medium-sized clearing, there were around twenty or thirty Jashinists. They were all wearing black cloaks with the hoods pulled up, covering their face. It looked like some kind of cult ritual. Several large candles were lit, casting an eerie glow over the grass, which was brown and dead. At the very back of the clearing, a large-throne-like chair had been set up and Shi was sitting in it. Katsumi was next to him watching the Jashinsts roam. Hidan was nowhere in sight. Every once in a while, a scuffle broke out, but Shi would just _look _at them and they'd back off. It looked like they were waiting for something...

Tatsuki and Sakura were silent for several minutes, waiting for whatever they were waiting for. It finally happened when there was the sound of cracking branches from right behind Shi. Erai, Kirai and Amane appeared through the trees... dragging an almost unconscious Hidan with then.

He looked like hell.

In the hours that he had been left with them, he looked like he had been beaten almost to the brink of death. Black and purple bruises covered most of his torso. They had went all out with the whips and he was covered with long, raw welts. Some were still bleeding. She caught a flash of his face and winced. One eyes was swollen shut and blood leaked out of the corners of his mouth. The two brutes had been hauling him along by a leather collar around his neck and his hands were tied behind his back. It looked humiliating.

He dropped to his knees next to Shi's throne, and spit out a mouthful of blood. The Jashinists all noticed him and began jeering, laughing, and occasionally throwing stones at him. Erai and Kirai laughed loudly. The latter kicked Hidan in the back, sending him sprawling forward. He said something but Sakura couldn't catch it. Hidan heard it though and struggled slowly to his knees. One of the Jashinists stepped forward and kicked Hidan the face violently.

Sakura couldn't watch anymore. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. Rage boiled in her gut and from the audible grit of his teeth, she could tell something similar was going on inside Tatsuki's head.

"We can take care of the other Jashinists with relative ease. It's Katsumi, Shi, Erai and Kirai that are the dangerous ones." Sakura whispered to Tatsuki. He nodded.

"Here's the plan..." Tatsuki murmured. Sakura leaned and listen attentively. "I'll handle the twins. You get handle Katsumi and Hidan out of there. Avoid Shi _at all costs_. He's obviously the leader and I really don't want to know why. Sakura nodded grimly.

"Be careful." She said. Tatsuki looked at her and smiled sadly. Suddenly, he reached forward and pulled her into and one-armed hug.

"Don't worry, I... I will." He said. He released her and looked her straight in the eyes.

"See you at the end of this?" She asked.

"Promise." He said, giving her a boyish wink. Sakura inhaled deeply to calm her nerves closed her eyes.

_"One..." _She thought, putting a hand on her ninjato.

_"Two..." _She tensed, leaned onto the balls of her feet, ready to lash out.

_"Three." _

Suddenly, Sakura wasn't there anymore. She shunshined forward, right next to the nearest Jashinist. He didn't even see her coming before she drew her ninjato and plunged it right through his heart. He dropped to the ground, dead.

_"One down, twenty-nine to go." _She thought grimly. Before anyone had even noticed one of their comrades had been struck down, she vanished again. She reappeared to her left, right behind another. She ended him in the same way.

Her feet hadn't even touched the ground.

She did this four times before anyone noticed. And when they did, they effect was instantaneous. Before she could drive her blade though another, Katsumi appeared and blocked her with his own blade. A tanto he had pulled from his sleeve.

"Why, if it isn't my favorite little kunoichi!" He said in a sugary voice. Sakura sneered and shunshined away to a safe distance. The Jashinist she was about to kill turned around, a bewildered look on his face.

"Katsumi-sama!" He blurted.

"You just run along now," Katsumi cooed to the Jashinist. "I want to have my own fun with this pretty little thing. Her blood will be most satisfying." He opened his eyes slightly and the irritating smile faded from his face.

Sakura shuddered at the tone in his voice and the change in facial expression. She spotted Tatsuki fighting the twins. He ducked a swing from one of them and jumped up, knocking their heads together. It didn't take much effort after that to hit them hard in the chest, breaking their sternums and crushing their hearts. She returned her gaze to Katsumi, silently applauding Tatsuki in her head.

"Shall we begin?" He asked. Sakura didn't bother with a reply, she just darted forward and attacked.

They fought for several minutes. It wasn't as much of an attack as it was... a dance. They would rush forward, briefly exchange blows and then split again. Sometimes Sakura landed a few hits, other times Katsumi managed to get the upper hand. Sakura got this annoying feeling that she was being toyed with. She snarled under her breath before sheathing her ninjato. Her hands began glowing with bright blue chakra. Katsumi raised and eyebrow.

"Oh? What's this?" He said. Sakura, again, didn't bother answering. She rushed forward with chakra enhanced speed, hoping to catch him by surprise. The surprise part didn't work, but her initial plan was. She coated her fists and arms with chakra, so they acted like a shield. Impenetrable to nearly everything.

She didn't use the style very often because it drained her chakra quickly, but she wanted to finish this as fast as she could. As Katsumi went to swipe at her, she didn't move to dodge- she just grabbed the blade with her bare hands and yanked him towards her. She pulled her fist back and slammed it into his gut. Katsumi gasped in pain. Sakura took advantage of his shock and used it to crack him across the face. Katsumi stumbled back. He didn't looked at her for several long seconds. Then he raised a hand and wiped away the blood that had trickled out of the corner of his mouth. He grinned at her, his eyes wide open and looking positively demonic.

"Now that's what I was looking for," he purred. He reached into his cloak and pulled out something smallish a black. Suddenly, it wasn't small and black anymore. It was a long and very deadly-looking spear.

"This shouldn't take long..." he snarled. It was like she somehow awakened an entirely new side of him. And to be honest, it scared the crap out of her. She steeled her nerves and balled her hands into fists again.

Katsumi suddenly vanished. Sakura barely had half a second of warning before the spear he had been wielding lashed out at her. Sakura dove to the right to avoid the weapon but she still ended up with a cut on her side. She skid to a stop, holding a hand over her injury. It was shallow and definitely not life threatening but... it burned. It stung and throbbed like nobody's business. It made spots dance in front of her eyes and her whole left side had gone numb. It didn't take a genius to realize that there was poison on the spear.

Katsumi didn't give Sakura a chance to heal herself. He attacked again, viciously and brutally. Sakura was put immediately on the defensive, trying to avoid getting hit with the poisoned weapon again.

Sakura's heart stopped as she suddenly slammed into a tree. Katsumi laughed wildly as he raised his spear, getting ready to drive it into her skin. Sakura's mind spun at a million miles per hour, going through hundreds of escape routes. She had been just about to dive to the left, when Katsumi suddenly paused. The grin had faded from his face and he looked as though he was listening to someone, but no one was speaking.

Finally, his lips curled up into his usual creepy smile. You know, the one that said, "I know hundreds of different ways to kill you very painfully, would you like a lollipop?"

...

He was so disturbing.

"Maybe next time, kunoichi." He said, licking his lips. He turned around and began walking slowly towards Shi, who was still sitting casually in his throne, legs crossed and resting his cheek in his palm. As soon as Sakura was sure he was actually leavin and not just tricking her, she went to work on the poisonous wound. It was very, very, painful, pulling the poison out. It was thick and was slow to come out and burned like fire in her veins. But after several seconds of agony, a murky black liquid came from her wound and the pain abruptly stopped. She bother with the cut itself, it was barely a scratch and wasn't even bleeding anymore.

Sakura stood up and eyed the group of Jashinists that were left. Tatsuki had managed to take out seven more Jashinists while she had been fighting... No wait, make that eight. They looked like they were caught between going after me and staying on guard to defend against Tatsuki. There were eighteen of them left.

Sakura stood up, tense and ready to attack at the simplest movement. The Jashinist glared at her, whispering among themselves. Tatsuki suddenly appeared next to her.

"You okay?" He asked. He had a small cut on his cheek and was covering a limp. Sakura eyed him worriedly.

"Just fine. What about you?" She asked.

"I'll live."

Sakura frowned but returned her gaze to the group of people staring at her. She spotted Hidan through the group of people. He was barely twenty feet away from her and her heart pounded. Their eyes locked and Hidan's one working eye was wide with surprise. Sakura offered him a dry smile before breaking off eye contact.

"Tatsuki... time for scare tactics," Sakura muttered. Tatsuki grinned, looking at her. Suddenly he threw up his hands in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Prepared to be amazed!" He said. Then he clapped them together and began murmuring in another language under his breath. She noticed Shi sit up a little straighter in his throne. Sakura slid several feet to the side.

Two Jashinsts attempted to tackle him but were thrown back by the release of energy. Tatsuki grinned back pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it away.

"The party doesn't start 'till I walk in," he said. His voice had suddenly gotten much deeper and sounded like he growled it out. There was the sound of ripping clothing before he began growing. Crimson scales grew on his skin and his eyes were yellow and feral-looking. He transformed fully and let out a deafening roar asif saying, _"bring it on, bitches!" _Which is exactly what he would have said anyway.

He raised a massive claw and swiped at the first row of Jashinists. He cought six of them, shredding them into paper mache. His lips pulled up into a devious grin. Sakura smiled. He couldn't use his fire because he would probably burn the whole forest but he was just as deadly. Weapons sparked harmlessly off his hide and even then, you couldn't get close enough without either getting torn up by his claws or torn apart by his teeth.

He was a one-man army.

It seemed like everything would be okay. There were only three left and they were trying their damned hardest to avoid his swiping claws. Tatsuki roared at the sky gleefully. He ignored the last three and swiveled his gaze to Shi. He turned and growled low in his throat. Shi didn't even flinch. He quietly stood up and wiped away some blood that had spattered on his face.

"I've had enough of this nonsense." He said. He lifted his hand and swiped it through the air. At first nothing happened. Suddenly, Tatsuki screeched in agony as a massive wound sliced across his chest. Gallons of blood spewed from the injury and he crumbled. Sakura's smile vanished faster than light.

"NO!" Hidan yelled. He twisted furiously against his restraints.

"Tatsuki!" Sakura screamed. She ran towards him as he began shrinking back to his original shape, pained whimpers turned to groans of agony. Shi directed his gaze to Sakura.

"Stupid girl." He said. Suddenly, something slammed to hard into Sakura's she could have sworn someone just whacked her across the head with a bat. She stumbled to her knees and held her head. It felt like her head was splitting in half.

_"Sakura... such a pretty name..." _Shi's voice echoed through her head, intensifying the pain. She could mutely hear Hidan screaming at Shi, but nothing but the _pain _in her head mattered right then. _"You were foolish to come after him, Sakura." _He said. _"You should have just stayed back in your little village, surrounded by your friends until we raze this land." _Sakura clenched her head tightly. She pulled her hair in an attempt to distract herself from the migraine raging through her head.

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!" She screamed. She head chuckles before the pain suddenly. Like a massive pressure being released, Sakura gasped with relief as it left. She panted as struggled to just lift her head and look at her torturer. Shi had a small smirk on his face.

"Oh, it's not just your head I can mess with..." He said. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Sakura shot up unwillingly, her painfully stiff with her head thrown back. "I could break your spine." He said. He snapped his fingers again. Sakura's arm shot out in a jerky, twitching motion and grabbed a kunai from her pouch and held it to her own throat.

"Or I could just let you kill yourself." He shrugged. "Your choice." Sakura's heart thumped wildly with fear. How was he doing this?! She felt control return to her limbs and she quickly tossed the kunai away. Hidan's voice rang in her ears.

"Shi, I fucking swear if you lay a finger on her, I'll gut you like a motherfucking fish," Hidan snarled, giving Shi a deadly glare. Sakura looked around and saw Tatsuki on the ground, blood pooling in dangerous amount around him. He wasn't moving. She turned back to Shi. Katsumi was standing next to him, smiling as if there wasn't bloodshed happening all around him. Shi smiled and raised his arms in a glorious manner.

"I am going to being Jashin-sama back to this earth! He will guide this world to destruction, and using the ashes of yesterday, we will build a new tomorrow! Won't it be splendid, Sakura Haruno? The very man you love, bringing about the downfall of this world?" He said, a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Corner: This. Was. So. LONG! I decided to get this monkey off my back and finish this damned thing. So you're welcome. I'll see you next time, my lovelies! *kisses all of you***

**-Kaya Kazaki**


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Corner: Hugs for all of you guys! I'm absolutely positive that the next chapter shall be the last. I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO GET TO THIS PART FOR MONTHS, I AM GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! **

**Disclaimer: _NOPE_**

* * *

Sakura's blood ran cold as Shi's words rang through her head, reverberating chillingly. Hidan was silent, his head bowed, throwing most of his face into shadows. Shi lowered his hands, a cool smirk on his face. Sakura trembled with a mixture of fear and tension.

"Katsumi..." He said quietly. Katsumi, who had been in the process of yawning, stiffened suddenly and stood attentively.

"Yes, Shi-sama." He said. Sakura looked up from her position on her hands and knees. Tears ran down her face as the three Jashinists that hadn't been killed shuffled to stand next to Shi and Katsumi. This had gone so wrong. Tatsuki was dead and Hidan was incapacitated and she was most likely going to be killed. She had fucked up big time. She clenched her hand in the grass angrily, trying to force the tears to stop. But they didn't.

"Aw, it seems my kunoichi broke. Boo, I was having such fun with her." Katsumi breathed. She heard the grass shift.

"Tenma, Ichinose, Boku, move Hidan into position. Katsumi... finish off the girl," Shi said. Sakura kept her head bowed as she listened to the instructions being handed out. Katsumi chuckled.

"Well, well, it seems our playtime is coming to an end, kunoichi. It's a shame, you were the most fun I've had without killing." He said in a wistful voice. As Hidan was being kicked and beaten into a standing position, his eyes were on her the entire time.

"Katsumi, don't you dare touch her!" Hidan snarled. He tugged viciously against the ropes and was rewarded with a very painful-sounding punch to the face. Hidan didn't miss a beat, whipping his head back to face her. They tugged him to the middle of the clearing. There was the sound of something being unsheathed as Katsumi leisurely made his way towards her.

"Sakura, what are you doing? Fight back, run, do _something! _Don't just sit there, god dammit!" He yelled at her. He was forced to his knees in the middle of the clearing, and his head was forcefully jerked back.

"_Run _Sakura! I forbid you from dying here, dammit! Run, get out of here!" He yelled. Katsumi raised his tanto, absolutely ready to bring it down on her head.

"_SAKURA!" _

Before anyone knew what had happened, Sakura's hand shot up and grabbed the blade. Blood trickled down her hand as the blade sliced the delicate skin between her fingers.

"No." She said. She looked up. Her face was tear-streaked and twisted into an expression balancing dangerously between rage and determination.

"I refuse to run. I refuse to die. And if I let one more person sacrifice themselves..." Sakura stood up so fast, she was a blur. She grabbed Katsumi by his throat and raised him an inch of the ground. Katsumi squirmed and gasped for air, clawing at her hand. "I'll finish the job myself." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Her hand tightened around Katsumi's throat. His lips began turning blue from lack of oxygen. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder.

"I have had it with this... this _bullshit._" She snarled. "This game of who gets to live and who gets to die. In fact, I'm changing the rules a little. You leave Hidan and get the fuck out my life and you _don't _come back, or I'll slaughter every single one of you, I swear on my title as a Konoha kunoichi." Sakura turned back to Katsumi, who was now entirely blue in the face and was losing strength. "I don't give second changes." She clenched her hand and crushed Katsumi's windpipe. She let him drop to the ground in a lifeless heap before turning around and staring icily at the four people across from her.

The three Jashinists were practically trembling with fear, and yet Shi stood as confident and as relaxed as he had been when this bloodshed had started.

"I hate breaking the rules, but..." Shi suddenly smirked. He walked behind Hidan and placed his hand on his shoulders. The air pulsed and Hidan's eyes bulged. Suddenly, there was a hissing noise as the symbol of Jashin began searing into his chest. "Some pink haired kunoichi with a strong fist isn't going to stop me. I spent years putting this plan into motion." He said. Hidan head snapped back, his mouth open as if to scream but not a sound escaped his throat.

"What the hell are you doing to him?!" Sakura snarled. She reached into her pouch and pulled out several kunai.

"He is to be the host for Jashin-sama, of course," spat one of the remaining Jashinists. Shi chuckled.

"Only one who has been Gifted can bare the burden of being host to a god." Shi said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"I won't let you!" Sakura yelled. She drew her ninjato and braced herself for another fight.

"Get... back..." Hidan forced out. His voice was strained to the point where it was barely audible. Sakura tilted her head in confusion. She saw the other Jashinists quickly backing away. Black wisps of energy flicked around Hidan. Sakura took a step back, grinding her feet into the dead grass.

"I summon you, Jashin-sama! Use my energy to pull yourself from hell, Jashin-sama!" Shi yelled.

_Boom. _

It wasn't even that loud, or that sharp. It was more like she was listening to an explosion through a thick glass wall. She threw her hands up in front of her face and her vision went entirely black for a few seconds. When she was able to see again, Shi was sprawled in the ground, several feet away. Hidan, on the other hand, was still on his knees, slumped over and... and _steaming. _

Thick curls of steam rose off his body. Right before her eyes, Hidan's wounds and injuries began vanishing, explaining the steam... somewhat. Bruises lightened and vanished, cuts closed themselves, not leaving a trace they were there.

Sakura took a cautious step forward.

"Hidan?" She said. Hidan twitched.

"Hidan?" Hidan suddenly said. But he didn't sound like himself, not even close. His voice was deep and rough and sounded like it hadn't been used in a century. The sound of it sent shivers racing down Sakura's back. She was sure of only one thing- that was most definitely _not _Hidan.

"That's this human's name? Hidan?" He purred, slowly raising his head to stare coolly at the pinkette. Sakura's eyes widened when she noticed his eyes. The whites of his eyes had gone black and his irises were pure white. His mouth stretched into a wide, cruel grin and he tilted his head to the left. She saw the grass at his feet wither and die in a matter of seconds of coming into contact with Hidan.

"How long has it been since I have occupied a physical form?" Hidan said, raising smoothly to his feet. "Months? Years? Decades?" He chuckled and rolled his shoulders around, cracking his neck. Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat. Hid- no, _Jashin _smirked and turned around ignoring Sakura for the time being. He walked up to the still-unconscious Shi and kicked him in the side.

"Wake up." He said flatly. Shi stirred and came to. His eyes widened when he saw the possessed Hidan looming over him. His eyes widened and he scrambled into a low bow on his knees.

"Master! You have arrived!" He said, excitement making his voice quiver. He sat up, so he was sitting on his knees.

"I have been waiting for you!" Something akin to adoration sparkled in his eyes. Sakura saw Jashin shift his weight from side to side as if getting used to the new body that he had claimed. He turned around to return his gaze to Sakura. A shiver raced down her spine at the sightless look in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I ask for no gift, Jashin-sama, you presence is enough," Shi blurted, dipping into a bow again.

"Shut up." He said in a low voice. Shi didn't seem to hear him.

"You don't know how-!"

"I said, _SHUT UP!_" Sakura watched and he raised a hand and flicked his hand in the most minute way. Shi sudden gasped and clutched his chest. Blood poured from his mouth and he started to hack- all the signs of a ruptured artery.

"M-Mas...ter..." He choked out. Hidan flicked his hand once more. Shi froze before slumping over, face-first into the grass. He looked quite, quite dead. Sakura's heart skipped a beat or three. How-?! Her fear of Jashin's power only grew.

The three Jashinists that had survived the blood bath were pale in the face as they stared at the death god.

"Whose blood will paint the grass first, hmm?" He said. They stepped back, away from him. He laughed chillingly and black tendrils of smoke gathered around his hand. It swirling and gathered and condensed until Jashin was holding a tall, entirely black scythe. It hissed with some kind of dark energy, sounding like evil voice whispering curses against every living thing. It was terrifying, but Sakura managed to hold on to her composure. Just barely.

"Will it be you..." Jashin paused and his head inclined slightly, as if listening to something. "Sakura. It seems this Hidan is thinking about nothing but you, little blossom." He said, cackling coldly. Sakura's blood ran cold and her heart pumped painfully fast.

"You shut your mouth about Hidan." Sakura snarled, her hands curling into fists. Jashin raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Oh? It seems his feelings _aren't _unrequited. Oh well." Jashin shrugged and flipped his scythe through his fingers and switched hands.

"You're friends will soon join you in hell, Haruno-san." He said, smiling. He suddenly froze and Sakura felt a pulse of chakra from Jashin. It wasn't the sticky, disgusting feel of Jashin's. It was cleaner. It was _Hidan's. _Sakura's heart rose. He was fighting back. The chakra faded though and didn't resurface. Jashin's brief look of panic faded and he shook his head, a calm smirk pulling at his lips.

"That should stop pretty soon. My being will suppress Hidan's consciousness into oblivion. This body will belong to me for the rest of his lifespan. And when he dies, I'll just..." His eyes flicked up from where they had been staring at the blade of his scythe. "Move onto another one." He said with a shrug.

"Let's play, blossom! Let's see how well you can fight against a god." He said. Fear and adrenaline pounded through Sakura's veins, but she clenched her jaw and drew her ninjato once more.

"You know, I've fought a god before..." A new voice rang loudly across the clearing. Sakura's eyes widened as Naruto stepped through the trees and into view. His gaze was pointed and serious. "...And I have to say, you're nowhere close to one." Hinata, Shikamaru, Kakashi and Lee stepped out with him. He caught Sakura's look and gave her a brief look of relief.

Jashin turned around and laughed.

"Oh, and who are you?" He said. "A blood bath so soon from awakening, I couldn't have asked for anything better." He flipped the scythe through his hands with frightening speed and agility. Naruto inclined his head towards Kakashi. Sakura took his moment of inattention to shunshin to Naruto's side.

"Are you alright?" He asked, staring at the blood that spattered her clothes. Sakura shook her head.

"I'm fine, most of this isn't mine." She said.

"What about Tatsuki...?" Shikamaru asked. Something dropped with sickening force into Sakura's stomach and she felt like she was about to throw up. Her silence was enough of an answer for the jonin.

"I see." He said. "Hinata, get Tatsuki's body out of the way as soon as it's safe enough to." He said to the raven. Jashin still hadn't moved, or shown any sign of attacking. Naruto inhaled and let it out slowly and pulled out a kunai.

"Take care of those three. I'll handle Hidan."

Kakashi nodded and immediately vanished from his spot to reappear behind the three strays. Tired though they were, they weren't pushovers. The simple fact that they had survived this long was proof of that.

Jashin stared at the five of them. The only sound was the scythes sinister whispers carried on a light breeze. Everyone was tense, waiting for even a twitch of hair to betray the signs of attack. Finally, there was deep chuckle from Hidan.

"You say you've fought a god before, hmm Naruto-san." Jashin said. Naruto tensed at the sound of his name on the enemies lips.

"Apparently he can use Hidan's memories." Sakura explained quickly and quietly. There was another, louder, more chilling laugh from the death god.

"Let's see how well you do against me!" He raised one hand, palm down, as if he were controlling a puppet. There was a single breath of silence- Then, the corpses began moving. The stood up with slow, sluggish movements and Sakura whipped her head around as the Jashinists that she had killed began moving.

"Death is my realm. Any soulless body is mine to control." He said, a smug smirk curling at the corners of his lips. It faded for a moment and his eyes widened slightly.

"Oh? What's this?" He asked. He glanced over his shoulder at Tatsuki's prone form, not twenty feet away. He huffed amusedly.

"It seems that one is still clinging to life. No matter. I'll just-"

"_YOU WON'T LAY A FUCKING HAND ON HIM, JASHIN!_" A voice yelled. Suddenly everyone's attention was focused on the boy standing over Tatsuki, Sakura's abandoned kunai clenched tightly in his hands. Amane had tears in his eyes as he stood in a pool of Tatsuki's own blood.

"Who's that?" Lee said quietly. Sakura stared at him, a sad look in her jade eyes.

"His brother." Even as she said it, she had no doubt about it. The way his hands trembled with fear but the absolute determination didn't say anything different. There was a collective aura of surprise around the group but no one questioned it.

"Ha!" Jashin barked. "Foolish boy." He turned his attention to the group of Leaf nin once more.

"Why don't we end this stupid conversation? I've been planning this for years. Some group of half-wit adults playing hero aren't going to stop me." He said, pointing his scythe at them. As if on cue, that battle began.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Okay, I didn't have as much fun with this as I thought I would. I had such a writer's block with this, my god. *Pulls hair* Ugh, I'm getting so sick of my horrible updating habits. I remember back back I could get two updates done in one day. *War flashback***

**-Kaya Kazaki**


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